The Sacramento Kings Just Rewarded Their Star Guard a With Massive $163 Million Payday
In three years, De’Aaron Fox has become a top player for the Sacramento Kings. Coming out of college, Fox was one of the top prospects in the NBA draft. He quickly made a name for himself when he entered the league and displayed a lot of talent.
Fox’s hard work is paying off as the Kings offered him a massive contract extension.
De’Aaron Fox starred in his lone season at Kentucky
In high school, Fox was one of the top recruits in the country. He was ranked the No. 6 overall recruit by multiple recruiting services, including Rivals, ESPN, Scout, and 247Sports. Fox committed to play under John Calipari at the University of Kentucky. He was the starting point guard his freshman year.
During his freshman year, Fox provided a huge spark to Kentucky’s offense. Fox could score in multiple ways and knew how to find the open player on offense. Kentucky knew they could depend on Fox when they needed to make a big play. During the SEC Tournament, he received MVP honors after the tournament. He was named to the SEC All-Freshman Team and was a first-team All-SEC selection.
In the 2017 NCAA Tournament, Fox helped lead Kentucky to the Elite Eight. During the Sweet 16 game against UCLA, Fox had 39 points to lead his team to victory. Kentucky lost to North Carolina 75-73 in the Elite Eight game. In 36 games, Fox averaged 16.7 points, 4.6 assists, and four rebounds.
De’Aaron Fox starting his NBA career with the Sacramento Kings
Fox was the fifth overall draft pick by the Kings in the 2017 NBA draft. During his rookie season, Fox appeared in 73 games and made 60 starts. He averaged 11.6 points, 4.4 assists, and 2.8 rebounds. Fox proved that he was ready for the NBA and gave the Kings hope for the future. In his second season, Fox made significant improvements. On November 1, 2018, Fox recorded a triple-double against the Atlanta Hawks as he finished with 31 points, 10 rebounds, and 15 assists.
He became the only player after LeBron James in 2005 to record a 30-point triple-double before 21. During the 2018-19 season, Fox averaged 17.3 points, 7.3 assists, 3.8 rebounds, and 1.6 steals. In his second season, Fox improved his offensive game tremendously. He used his speed and quickness to get to the rim, and he was unstoppable on fast breaks. Fox finished second behind Pascal Siakam in the voting for NBA’s Most Improved Player of the Year award.
Though the 2019-20 season was suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic, Fox made the most of the shortened season. He established himself as one of the quickest guards and overall players in the league, and he had a breakout season. Fox scored a career-high 39 points in a 129-120 loss to the San Antonio Spurs. The talented guard finished the season averaging 21.1 points, 6.8 assists, and 3.8 assists.
De’Aaron Fox receiving a massive contract extension from the Kings
After three years in the league, Fox recently received some great news from the Kings. According to an ESPN article, the Kings and Fox agreed to a five-year max extension worth at least $163 million, his agent, Chris Gaston, told ESPN’s, Bobby Marks. Fox could earn more money, too, if he receives All-NBA honors.
He would earn a total of $170 million in the deal for being an All-NBA third-team selection, $183 million for a second-team selection, and $196 million for a first-team selection, according to Gaston. Fox has made tremendous improvements in his three years playing in the NBA, and the Kings see the potential that Fox possesses. He has the potential to become one of the top players in the league.