Since the Sacramento Kings fired head coach Mike Brown, this best coach who just completed a renewal in the offseason has now become a scapegoat for players and management. Despite All-Star guard De'Aaron Fox actively clarifying that he had no direct relationship with Brown's dismissal, his various actions have begun to ferment. Focusing on the true face of the Kings suffering five consecutive losses after being killed by a 3+1 by Ayton, the head coach was furious and directly blamed the players for not following the tactics during the post-game media conference. Perhaps it was this angry speech that completely caused the Kings to disintegrate from within.
However, this farce has not ended. The seemingly stable Fox is making his final efforts. He previously rejected a 3-year $165 million renewal contract offered by management and later joined forces with agent Rich Paul to challenge management, hoping to leave the city of Sacramento before the trade deadline. Given the team's current competitive state, it is difficult to have any leverage to retain Fox. For the contract expiring in 2026, the Kings do not want to lose this talent for nothing, so they must trade him to acquire more valuable assets. Among them, several potential suitors have emerged, such as the San Antonio Spurs, Houston Rockets, and Los Angeles Lakers, all of whom can offer more attractive chips.
On December 31, 2024, Beijing time, Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report reported: The Sacramento Kings' high-level officials stated that they have a strong interest in the Rockets' No. 3 pick in 24 years, Reed Sheppard. This NCAA league sharpshooter has played 29 regular-season games for the Rockets since entering the NBA this season, averaging 3.4 points, 1.2 assists, and 1.3 rebounds per game, with a shooting percentage of only 32%. His proud three-point shooting has an astonishingly low 27.9%, which makes people doubt the decision of the Rockets' management at the draft. After all, the Spurs' No. 4 pick, Castle, has gradually realized his defensive talent and successfully won the top spot in the rookie list again.
Obviously, Sheppard's growth trajectory is contrary to the development trajectory of the Rockets. The former needs a lot of playing time to gradually adapt to the intensity of NBA games and find his shooting form on the offensive end. However, head coach Udoka will not make an exception for him. There are many talented guards on the team, and the normal rotation of VanVleet, Dillon Brooks, Jalen Green, and Amen Thompson has already shown initial results. The coaching staff will not give more players the possibility of trial and error on the court, and Whitmore is a typical case. As a freak of nature in 2022, his strengths and weaknesses are very obvious. He is completely a brute who relies on his body to play, and his poor performance on both ends of the attack and defense has also become the main reason for his being hidden by Udoka.
If the Houston Rockets can put Whitmore and Sheppard on the trading shelf to pursue the Kings' Fox, general manager McHale might be tempted. Considering Fox's high salary, Rockets general manager Stone needs to give up several role players to complete the trade, and the expiring contracts of Tate and Jeff Green will become the main additions. As a native of Hometown, Fox would not refuse a team in the top three in the West that has the potential to compete for the championship. Once the trade is completed, both sides will get what they need.
The Rockets will enhance their confidence in winning the championship by forming a backcourt with Fox and Green, and they still have the power to fight throughout the West. On the other hand, the Kings can enter the rebuilding phase with peace of mind. They can at least gain two promising new stars, and unexpectedly, the team's rebuilding path is much shorter than imagined.