MIAMI, FLORIDA - NOVEMBER 04: Jimmy Butler #22 of the Miami Heat controls the ball against DeMar ... [+]
The Sacramento Kings are in free fall. They've lost six straight games and have gone 5-13 over their past 18 games. They're now 3.5 games behind the 10th-seeded Golden State Warriors for the final spot in the West play-in tournament, and they just fired head coach Mike Brown on Friday.
That backslide has put the Kings in the "danger zone" with star guard De'Aaron Fox, according to Sam Amick and Anthony Slater of The Athletic. Fox's agent, Rich Paul of Klutch Sports, recently met with the Kings' front office to gain more clarity about the team's long-term plan.
"I want to make sure that we're in a position to try to win in the future, because that's ultimately what I want to do," Fox told Warriors forward Draymond Green and former NBA player Baron Davis on a recent podcast. "For me, it's 'Are we looking like we're continuing to get better year after year, and 'Are we going to be able to compete at a high level?'"
Fox is under guaranteed contract through 2025-26, but he's set to become an unrestricted free agent during the 2026 offseason. The Kings' increasing desperation to appease Fox could make them a dark horse in the ongoing trade talks around Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler.
While Heat team president Pat Riley recently declared that he didn't plan to trade Butler, he'd hardly be the first team executive to say one thing and then do another. ESPN's Shams Charania reported on Christmas Day that Butler "prefers a trade out of Miami" ahead of the Feb. 6 NBA trade deadline, as he and the Heat remain at a standstill regarding an extension.
Charania mentioned the Houston Rockets, Golden State Warriors, Dallas Mavericks and Phoenix Suns as teams that Butler would prefer to land on, although various obstacles might prevent those four teams from moving forward on a deal. That could open the door for the Kings to sneak into Butler trade talks, whether to land him themselves or as the third team in a multi-team trade.
Could Jimmy Buckets Light The Beam?
Fox turned down a three-year, $165 million extension from the Kings this past fall. However, he "made clear publicly and privately" that he wanted "to be a significant part of the future in Sacramento," Charania reported at the time.
Fox's decision to bypass the extension was financially motivated. If he doesn't make an All-NBA team this year, he'll be eligible for a four-year, $228.6 million max extension this coming offseason. If he does make an All-NBA team, he'd be eligible for a five-year, $345.3 million deal. In other words: Delaying his extension by one year could earn him an extra $64 million, if not far more.
However, the Kings might need to prove to Fox that they're just as fixated on championship contention as he is, particularly after their recent firing of Brown. That's where Butler could come in.
The Kings are hard-capped at the first apron after acquiring DeMar DeRozan via sign-and-trade this past summer, but they're roughly $5.9 million below that threshold for now. That means they're allowed to take back up to 125% of the salary they send out in any trade, plus $250,000. They just can't swing a deal that would push them above the first apron.
Butler is earning nearly $48.8 million this season, so the Kings would have to send out at least $38.8 million in salary to acquire him. DeRozan ($23.4 million) and either Malik Monk ($17.4 million) or Kevin Huerter ($16.8 million) alone would clear that bar. However, the Kings would still need to send out a bit more salary to stay below the first apron.
Third-year forward Keegan Murray likely would be the sticking point in trade negotiations between Miami and Sacramento. The Kings presumably wouldn't want to give him up for a potential half-season rental, whereas Miami might insist on his inclusion in any deal. The Kings could counter with third-year guard Keon Ellis or Devin Carter, whom they selected with the No. 13 overall pick in the 2024 NBA draft.
The Kings owe their top-12-protected first-round pick to the Atlanta Hawks in 2025 and owe a 2031 first-round pick swap to the San Antonio Spurs, but they otherwise have full control over their first-round picks across the next seven years. They could include up to two first-rounders (2027 and 2029) and three pick swaps (2026, 2028 and 2030) in a Butler deal, although he shouldn't cost nearly that much since he's on a potentially expiring contract.
The Kings shouldn't pursue Butler unless they're willing to re-sign him in free agency this offseason. However, they have the right combination of salary-matching contracts and assets to potentially pique Miami's interest if the Heat change their mind about not trading him.
The Third Wheel
Even if the Kings decide it's too risky to acquire Butler, they could still wiggle their way into those trade negotiations. Their flexibility under the first apron could help them expand any trade into a multi-team deal, which would still enable them to shake up their supporting cast around Fox and Domantas Sabonis.
Say, for instance, that the Warriors wanted to trade for Butler, but the Heat didn't want to take back Andrew Wiggins and/or Jonathan Kuminga in the deal. The Kings could jump in and ship DeRozan, Huerter or Monk to Miami while taking back contracts from the Warriors and/or Heat, provided they remained under the first apron.
If Butler wanted to force his way to Phoenix—which remains an extreme long shot—the Kings could even help facilitate that by taking on Bradley Beal's $50.2 million salary. However, the Suns likely don't have enough assets to convince the Kings to take on that albatross contract, particularly since they'd have to send out all three of DeRozan, Huerter and Monk for salary-matching purposes. Still, that's the type of three-team deal that Sacramento could help facilitate with its financial flexibility.
According to Amick and Slater, the Kings know their roster "needs an upgrade, if not multiple." They're reportedly prioritizing backup center "and the wing spots," with players such as Portland Trail Blazers forward Jerami Grant, Washington Wizards forward Kyle Kuzma and Brooklyn Nets forward Cam Johnson lurking as possible targets.
Amck and Slater added that "the notion of adding a high-profile player" is "believed to be very unlikely," although the Kings' current front office tends to explore "any and all possibilities that might improve the team, even if they don't appear to make sense at first glance." Could that include sniffing around a disgruntled 35-year-old whose team claims it doesn't plan to move him by the Feb. 6 trade deadline?
After Saturday's loss to the LeBron James-less Los Angeles Lakers, Fox all but put the Kings' front office on notice.
The desperation to turn their season around and defuse the ticking time bomb of a potential Fox trade request could motivate the Kings to call Miami about Butler despite the Heat's bluster about not trading him.
Unless otherwise noted, all stats via NBA.com, PBPStats, Cleaning the Glass or Basketball Reference. All salary information via Spotrac and salary-cap information via RealGM. All odds via FanDuel Sportsbook.
