Insider confirms extension plan for Kings star De’Aaron Fox

Kings guard De’Aaron Fox will bypass a possible three-year, $165M contract extension this fall with an eye toward signing a more lucrative deal during the 2025 offseason, sources tell Shams Charania of ESPN.

Sam Amick and Anthony Slater of The Athletic reported back in June that Fox didn’t intend to sign an extension this offseason, so Charania’s reporting simply confirms that’s still the plan with an Oct. 21 deadline looming.

Because he has two guaranteed years left on his contract, Fox can sign an extension up until next Monday, then would be ineligible to complete a new deal during the season before becoming extension-eligible again next summer. His current contract will pay him $34.85M this season and $37.1M in 2025-26.

While Charania’s story doesn’t explicitly say the Kings put their maximum three-year offer on the table for Fox this offseason, it certainly sounds like it would be available if he were interested in signing it.

As Charania explains, Fox has expressed both publicly and privately that his preference is to remain in Sacramento long-term and worked with high-ranking team officials on major moves this offseason, including the acquisition of DeMar DeRozan. However, he can qualify for a more lucrative deal next summer. His maximum standard contract at that time would be worth a projected $229M over four years. The 26-year-old could also qualify for a super-max deal worth up to $345M over five years if he earns an All-NBA spot next spring.

An All-NBA berth isn’t out of the question for Fox. In fact, he’s already earned the honor once, having made the third team in 2023. Last season, he averaged a career-high 26.6 points per game on .465/.369/.738 shooting, chipping in 5.6 assists and a league-best 2.0 steals per contest.