Report: Lakers linked to De’Aaron Fox with possible catch involved

ESPN’s Tim MacMahon recently became the latest prominent NBA insider to comment on trade rumors regarding Sacramento Kings star guard De’Aaron Fox. He cited several teams that he believes could be in the mix for the one-time All-Star should he ask out of Sacramento, and the Los Angeles Lakers were among the franchises mentioned.

However, there could be a catch involved, as MacMahon also suggested that it’s possible Fox’s name is only being connected to the Lakers because of the fact that he’s a Klutch Sports client.

“Now, if Fox is going to ask out, it seems like the tea leaves are pointing that way,” MacMahon said. “Still, I’m not sure it’s definite. When you’re appearing on podcasts with Draymond Green and laying groundwork, you can see how people read into it. … If Fox asks out, teams like San Antonio and Houston are the ones to watch. I’ve also heard rumors about the Lakers, but it’s hard to tell how much of that is just speculation because he’s a Klutch client. There’s also been talk about Miami, given his connection to Bam Adebayo. Who knows what other suitors might emerge, or which of these teams will actually pursue him if it comes to that?”

Fox has been one of the NBA’s top point guards so far in his eighth season in the league and as a member of the Kings. He’s averaging 26.2 points, 5.0 rebounds, 6.1 assists and 1.6 steals per game and has yet to sit out a game for Sacramento since the start of the campaign.

But the play of Fox hasn’t resulted in a lot of victories for the Kings to this point. Sacramento is currently five wins under the .500 mark at 13-18 and just suffered one of its worst losses of the season on Thursday. The Kings lost to the Detroit Pistons by one point after they were outscored by 15 in the final frame.

If Fox were to get traded to the Lakers in the near future, he would seemingly have a better chance of competing for a title this season than if he were to stay put with the Kings. Unlike Sacramento, Los Angeles is well within the Western Conference playoff picture right now.

The Lakers’ 17-13 record has them as the No. 6 seed in the West, and the team won its Christmas Day game over the Golden State Warriors earlier in the week.

Fox is arguably a player who is talented enough to shake things up in the NBA if he gets dealt to the right team. A Lakers squad led by LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Fox would rank among the best in the league (at least on paper) and likely strike fear into the hearts of contenders around the NBA.