Ranking 3 expert-proposed Spurs-Kings De'Aaron Fox trades from worst to best

Let's break down some of the most popular fake trades.

Stephon Castle, De'Aaron Fox
Stephon Castle, De'Aaron Fox | Scott Wachter-Imagn Images

Trade season is in full swing, and there is no shortage of rumors when it comes to the San Antonio Spurs. Shams Charania reported on Tuesday that the Sacramento Kings are expected to open up trade talks for De'Aaron Fox as the Feb. 6 trade deadline approaches.

On top of that, he also noted that Fox "has a target destination in mind" ahead of 2026 free agency. There has been much speculation about this, but many have of course deduced that he may like to return to his hometown and play for the Spurs.

With that in mind, endless trade proposals and ideas of how to get Fox to San Antonio have sprung up in the last couple of days. Some of these proposals would be great for the Spurs, and others not so much. Let's take a look at three fake trades proposed by experts and rank them - with number one being the best and number three being the worst.

Fake trade #3

NBA cap analyst Yossi Gozlan (@YossiGozlanNBA on YouTube) proposed this deal wherein the Spurs would send Keldon Johnson and Stephon Castle to the Kings, along with their two first-round picks from the Atlanta Hawks and get Fox back in return.

This one I ranked as the worst due to due factors - having to give up Castle and only getting back Fox in return. The other two trades listed here include a supplementary player going to San Antonio along with Fox, and neither of them force the Spurs to trade away their promising young star in Stephon Castle.

Fake trade #2

This one is a bit more complicated. Put forth by senior writer for The Athletic, Sam Vecenie, this proposal loops in a third team in the Chicago Bulls to get the deal done. The Spurs would get Fox along with Torrey Craig from Chicago, while sending Harrison Barnes, Tre Jones and Malaki Branham to the Bulls. Chicago would ironically get back their own pick in this scenario, while two Spurs first-rounders and one Hawks first-rounder would go to the Kings.

I would rate this one as higher than the first trade proposed by Gozlan due to the value of the assets coming in and out. San Antonio gets another player that can join the rotation right away in Torrey Craig, and they don't give up a single player as valuable as Stephon Castle here.

Fake trade #1

The final deal we look at here also comes from Yossi Gozlan. In his other proposal, San Antonio would add not just Fox but also Kevin Huerter while sending Sacramento Devin Vassell, Chris Paul and two first-round picks acquired from Atlanta.

To me, this is easily the best deal the Spurs could get of these three. Yes, sending away Vassell hurts, but he probably still does not have as much long-term upside as Castle. Chris Paul has served his purpose well in San Antonio, but losing him would be well worth it to get two starting-caliber players in the frontcourt to put alongside Victor Wembanyama.

Schedule