Sacramento Kings: Insider Reveals Why De’Aaron Fox Will Decline His $165 Million Max Extension This Year

De’Aaron Fox has two years left on his current contract with the Sacramento Kings before becoming an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2026. Fox will earn approximately $35 million this upcoming season and roughly $37 million in 2025–26.

The one-time NBA All-Star could be eligible for a five-year, $345 million max extension with the Sacramento Kings if things go his way in the next few months, including being named to an All-NBA team.

He is coming off a robust 2023-24 season, averaging a career-high 26.6 points, 4.6 rebounds, 5.6 assists, and a league-leading 2.0 steals per game in 74 regular-season games. 

De’Aaron Fox made it clear several times that he wants to prolong his stay in Sactown as an integral part of the team’s long-term project and is biding his time.

Sacramento Kings trade Jalen McDaniels to the San Antonio Spurs

In other news relating to the Sacramento Kings, they recently completed a deal that will send forward Jalen McDaniels and a second-round pick to the San Antonio Spurs in a move to reduce their wage bill.

McDaniels was sent to the Sacramento Kings (from the Toronto Raptors) this offseason in exchange for Davion Mitchell and Sasha Vezenkov, and he didn’t even play a single game for them.

Once the trade is official, the Sacramento Kings will carry 13 players on standard contracts (11 fully guaranteed), and they will have enough spending room below the tax line to fill out their regular season roster.

As for the San Antonio Spurs, they intend to waive Jalen McDaniels, so his salary will remain on their cap as dead money.