De’Aaron Fox might command a max contract extension for his talents but he’s also earning the money for his intangibles. The Sacramento Kings point guard told The Old Man and the Three’s J.J. Redick and Tommy Alter that he wanted to be drafted by the Kings so that he could be the one to lead them to the playoffs after a decade-long drought.
“I was like, I kind of want to go five, I want to be the fifth (pick) and go to the Kings,” Fox said. “For me, it’s just like, imagine being one of those players on a team that hasn’t been to the playoffs in a decade, almost two decades, a decade and a half. And then being the first team to make it to the playoffs.”
That type of mentality has always impressed sports franchises and Fox is undoubtedly one of Sacramento’s cornerstone pieces. Nicknamed “Swipa” because his ability to rack up steals, the speedy Fox is one of the games’ best young players.
In the 2018-19 season, Fox led his team to a 39-43 record, their best since the 2007-08 season. They also finished ninth in the Western Conference that season, evidence of just how close they are to reaching the playoffs.
