De'Aaron Fox Gets Honest on Controversial Trade Before Spurs-Kings

Over a month after being dealt from the Sacramento Kings to the San Antonio Spurs, De'Aaron Fox got real.

"You fire the coach, and you don't do an interview?" Fox told ESPN's Michael C. Wright, "So, all the blame was on me. Did it weigh on me? No. I don't give a f***. But the fact y'all are supposed to be protecting your player and y'all let that happen."

"I felt at the time the organization didn't have my back."

De’Aaron Fox felt his time in Sacramento was up when they fired Mike Brown

"I was like, 'Yo, I've been here for going on my eighth year. If Mike gets fired, I'll be going on my fifth coach. And I told them, 'I'm not going to play for another coach. I'm going to play for another… pic.twitter.com/IjnJMM3j7h
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) March 7, 2025

Fox was referring to the ousting of former Kings coach Mike Brown, who led Sacramento to its first playoff run in 2022 since 2005, earning the NBA's Coach of the Year award and signed a longtime extension to hopefully continue such success.

Turns out, there was a shortage of patience within the Kings' front office. After a rough beginning to this season, Brown was fired. The result? In Fox's mind, his time in California was over, too.

"I'm not going to play for another coach," he told Wright.

“There was no f***ing list. I wanted to go to San Antonio. A lot of people are mad, saying I handcuffed the team. Well, this is my career. It's not my job to help build your team. I'm not about to just go where they want me to go.”

— De’Aaron Fox 😳

(via @mikecwright, h/t… pic.twitter.com/6b6ZDUDleC
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) March 7, 2025

From that point on, the mission became landing with the Spurs, who Fox saw as a breeding ground for playoff success behind Victor Wembanyama and a slew of wings in Stephon Castle, Devin Vassell and Jeremy Sochan.

Despite popular opinion, San Antonio was all Fox wanted.

There was no f***ing list," the point guard told Wright. "I wanted to go to San Antonio. A lot of people are mad, saying I handcuffed the team. Well, this is my career. It's not my job to help build your team. I'm not about to just go where they want me to go.”

Fox was accused of shambling the Kings' organization, though from his vantage point, he didn't want to "protect' a team who didn't do the same for him after firing its coach. He wanted out, so out he got.

Now, he's set to return to face that same team in the arena he's all-too familiar with. And if he wasn't already going to be jeered, he certainly is now.

Tipoff between the Spurs and Kings at Golden 1 Center is set for 10 p.m. EST.

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