Kings’ De’Aaron Fox eyes potential expansion in 2025

Kings guard De’Aaron Fox will bypass a potential three-year, $165 million contract extension this fall with an eye toward signing a more lucrative deal in the 2025 offseason, sources tell ESPN’s Shams Charania.

The Athletic’s Sam Amick and Anthony Slater reported back in June that Fox had no intention of signing an extension this season, so Charania’s reporting simply confirms that is still the plan with an October 21 deadline looming.

Because he has two guaranteed years left on his contract, Fox can sign an extension until next Monday, after which he will be ineligible for a new contract during the season before becoming eligible for an extension again next summer. His current contract pays him $34.85 million this season and $37.1 million in 2025-26.

While Charania’s story doesn’t explicitly say the Kings put their three-year maximum offer on the table for Fox this offseason, it certainly sounds like it would be available if he were interested in signing it.

As Charania explains, Fox has indicated both publicly and privately that his preference is to remain in Sacramento long-term and has worked with senior team officials on major moves this offseason, including the acquisition of DeMar DeRozan. However, he could qualify for a more lucrative contract next summer. His maximum standard contract at that time was expected to be worth $229 million over four years. The 26-year-old could also qualify for a super-max deal worth up to $345 million over five years if he earns an All-NBA spot next spring.

(RELATED: Super-Max Candidates to Watch in 2024/25)

An All-NBA berth isn’t out of the question for Fox — in fact, he’s already earned the honor once, after making the Third Team in 2023. Last season, he averaged a career-high 26.6 points per game on .465/.369/.738 shooting, scoring 5.6 assists and a league-best 2.0 steals per game.