The NBA trade deadline is still a few days away but another blockbuster deal was made Sunday just hours after the Luka Doncic for Anthony Davis stunner. In another three-team deal first reported by Shams Charania of ESPN.com, the Spurs are acquiring De’Aaron Fox from the Kings in a trade that also is sending Zach LaVine to Sacramento. Here are the full particulars of the deal that should give Victor Wembanyama a running mate in San Antonio for the foreseeable future.
Spurs receive: De’Aaron Fox, Jordan McLaughlin
Kings receive: Zach LaVine, Sidy Cissoko, 3 first-round picks (2025 protected CHA, 2027 SA, 2031 MIN), 3 second-round picks
Bulls receive: Kevin Huerter, Zach Collins, Tre Jones, their own protected 2025 first round pick back from San Antonio.
What exactly are the implications of the deal from the Celtics viewpoint. Let’s examine the objectives of all three teams to get a better sense of short-term and long-term situations to watch for.
Spurs find Wemby a young point guard
The French phenom is ahead of schedule and while Chris Paul was a nice veteran to pair with the big man, Fox should add a whole new dynamic to the Spurs offense with his speed and driving ability. San Antonio was reportedly Fox’s preferred destination so it’s no surprise they ended up with him. The price they paid isn’t crazy either. The Charlotte pick is likely to turn into two second round picks so all they are getting up here is a couple first round selections and a couple of replaceable veterans in Collins and Jones.
With that said, I’m not sure Fox is a guy that is going to propel this team into contention right away even alongside Wembanyama but San Antonio isn’t exactly attracting a ton of free agent talent these days. They found a younger piece that makes sense and went for it. If they find a way to nab a third star, the Celtics will need to start worrying about this team by the tail end of the decade.
Kings stay afloat as a playoff team?
The return for Fox looks somewhat underwhelming here in draft pick compensation but they will at least be able to replace most of his offensive firepower with LaVine. He’s having a phenomenal bounceback year but it was evident he still didn’t have a market on his gigantic deal. The Bulls essentially gave him away here to just get him off their long term books.
For now, they will still be a fun team to watch offensively but watching LaVine and DeMar DeRozan attempt to get stops on a nightly basis will be rough. This remains a play-in team out West with no serious playoff upside. A non-factor from the Celtics’ standpoint but probably a win to keep LaVine away from any serious contender this year.
Bulls prepare for the tank
After holding strong with no in-season deals for the last two years, the Bulls finally pull the trigger on what should be a busy week of selling off veterans before they head into the tank. Ultimately, they net nothing in this deal beyond a couple meh contracts that expire a year before LaVine’s in Huerter and Collins. The Celtics could look their way for some cheap options at the end of the roster perhaps (Torrey Craig?) this week but keep an eye on names like Nikola Vucevic being on the move to contenders in the coming days.
Final thoughts
Ultimately, this deal works out quite well for the Celtics in the short term as Fox heads nowhere that is likely to make an impact in the present championship. How much it matters for the future in San Antonio depends on how quickly they can put more elite talent around him and Wemby.
