Kings-Spurs Matchup of the Game: Zach LaVine vs De'Aaron Fox

The Sacramento Kings (32-29) look to get back in the win column against De'Aaron Fox and the San Antonio Spurs (26-34) in the much anticipated return of the All-Star guard.

This game has been on everyone's calendars since the moment the Fox and Zach LaVine trade was announced, and it comes at a crucial point of the season for the Kings. In the midst of a Western Conference battle for the playoff and play-in seeding, Sacramento needs every win they can get.

While this game is sure to have extra energy around it with Fox's return, it's a game that the Kings need to win as they face the 13th place Spurs.

For the matchup of the game, we look at none other than the two stars involved in the trade that sent Fox to the Spurs and brought LaVine to the Kings.

Season Stats:

Zach LaVine: 23.6 PTS, 4.6 REB, 4.4 AST, 0.9 STL, 0.2 BLK, 50.8 FG%, 43.6 3P%

De'Aaron Fox: 23.7 PTS, 4.8 REB, 6.2 AST, 1.5 STL, 0.4 BLK, 46.3 FG%, 31.0 3P%

The season stats don't do this matchup justice, as the two players are both in very different situations with their new teams. More telling may be just looking at the stats with their new teams, in which LaVine has played 12 games and Fox 13.

New Team Stats

Zach LaVine: 22.3 PTS, 3.9 REB, 4.2 AST, 1.0 STL, 0.1 BLK, 49.7 FG%, 40.2 3P%

De'Aaron Fox: 19.3 PTS, 4.2 REB, 6.6 AST, 1.8 STL, 0.4 BLK, 43.7 FG%, 26.4 3P%

Both players have seen a slight dip in their production since the trade, which makes sense for there to be an adjustment period and the state of the Spurs. LaVine came out struggling from beyond the arc and has found his groove from deep of late, but Fox has yet to find his stroke from three in San Antonio.

But as all Kings fans know, both of these players can light it up on any given night.

The main area I'll be watching Fox in tonight is the floater area. He's one of the best players in the league at snaking through the mid-range and sneaking into the floater area. He shoots 5.7 times per contest in the non-restricted paint area, 7th most in the league.

De'Aaron Fox expects Keegan Murray to guard him tonight.

"Keegan probably knows all my moves. We spent two summers together playing a lot of 1-on-1. ... I've seen him become a better offensive and defensive player than when he came in. So that's definitely an exciting matchup." pic.twitter.com/5vUGl7ccjs
— Tristi Rodriguez (@tristi_r14) March 7, 2025

LaVine, meanwhile, continues to light it up from beyond the arc. In his last five games, he's shooting 61.8% from deep on 6.8 attempts per game.

With the Spurs starting both Chris Paul and Fox, LaVine should have a height matchup early in this one. It's possible San Antonio puts Devin Vassell on the sharpshooter, but if that's the case, the Kings could go to DeMar DeRozan early instead.

While the numbers are encouraging going into this one, they can almost be thrown out the window to be honest. This game will be about as emotional as possible with former teammates and friends squaring off. The main thing for the Kings will be to come out aggressive and get off to a strong start as they use the emotion and home crowd to their advantage.

Stat Predictions:

Zach LaVine: 33 PTS, 4 REB, 5 AST, 0 STL, 0 BLK

De'Aaron Fox: 24 PTS, 3 REB, 7 AST, 3 STL, 0 BLK

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