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The Sacramento Kings initiated a discussion with De’Aaron Fox that led to the team opening trade talks ahead of the trade deadline, sources tell Jake Fischer. Sacramento sent word to some interested teams as early as last week that it was open to such overtures.

Sources also say that Fox and his representation at Klutch Sports would have preferred to address the situation during the offseason. There would have been more teams potentially interested in Fox and with more mechanisms to acquire him. The Brooklyn Nets could pursue Fox in the offseason, but they are unlikely to make an in-season trade for him.

Fox’s original decision to decline a three-year, $167 million extension last offseason led to the current path where a trade has become an apparent inevitability. The original thinking was that Fox’s decision to decline the extension was to bet on himself to make an All-NBA team and become supermax eligible, but he now has no intention on extending regardless of the outcome.

The Kings are considered unlikely to receive the same type of trade package that the Cleveland Cavaliers sent to the Utah Jazz in 2022 for Donovan Mitchell.