Sacramento Kings haven’t made the playoffs since 2006 and will most likely miss out on the postseason basketball this year as well. But their young point guard De’Aaron Fox wants to stay with the team long enough in order to see that change.
Fox was Kings’ fifth overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft and he’s eligible for a rookie extension this year. Speaking with reporters on a conference call this weekend, the 22-year-old point guard said that there is no doubt in his mind that he intends to take it.
“It’s all the same, it’s all the same, I don’t think there’s much to say about that,” said Fox. “I see myself being here. I want to be here.”
Fox acknowledged that the franchise hasn’t been winning as much in the recent decade, but believes the Kings positioned themselves well to end their playoff drought.
“Obviously, you know we want to win and right now, I think last year, we put ourselves in a good position,” he added. “This year, we’re sort of in the same position to still make the playoffs. So that’s what we all want and then continue to take the next step forward.”
De’Aaron Fox has been having a breakthrough season this year, emerging as a leader for Kings despite his young age. He has been leading Sacramento in scoring with 20.4 points per game while also adding 4.0 rebounds, 6.8 assists, and 1.6 steals on average in 2019/20.
Fox is now set to travel to Orlando, where Kings face an uphill battle to get to the eight seed in the West. They are currently sitting 3.5 games behind Memphis Grizzlies, sharing the record with Portland Trail Blazers and New Orleans Pelicans.
