The Sacramento Kings have reportedly known for some time that De’Aaron Fox was not going to sign a contract extension this offseason. Way back in June, The Athletic reported that Fox wanted to see how the Kings controlled their roster over the summer rather than creating balance. On Monday, ESPN’s Shams Charania showed Fox’s plan not to sign an extension, although the roster had little to do with it. Charania reported that Fox has been busy with the Kings over the last few years and was involved in the decision to add DeMar DeRozan.
Fox’s motivations were reportedly monetary. Fox was eligible to add $165 million and three years to his top rookie deal this offseason. After a year, open at least one other successful door and possibly two.
No matter what, Fox may be eligible for a four-year, $229 million extension next offseason. By waiting out the extra season, he becomes eligible to get that extra year because he would have one less year left on his current contract. Since NBA guarantees can come with increases of up to 8%, the overall year of that potential extension will be the most lucrative of them all. A used player at risk of going down may want to sign directly from safety, but Fox is 26 years old and in his prime. It’s likely to rise in value for at least another year and probably much longer, so you can feel pretty safe being able to hold on to excess cash.
But when Fox has a truly superior season, it can make much more than $229 million. If he makes an All-NBA team (or wins Defensive Player of the Game or MVP, but let’s just say that’s out of the question and move on), he’ll be eligible for a super-max extension. That will allow him to add five unused seasons to his current contract next summer and commit him to a staggering $345 million. That would be the biggest news in NBA history, although given the league’s tidal wave of economic order, that record could lose its appearance every year now.
The possibility of becoming the highest-paid player in NBA history has visible appeal for any famous person. In Fox’s case, persistence has the secondary benefit of allowing this season to end. The Kings hope to be a playoff team this season, but DeRozan is 35 years old and the Kings were eliminated in the Play Games-In tournament last season. The weekly budget is the visible reason why Fox would expect an extension, it never hurts to keep his decisions observable when the Kings are involved. Sacramento has made the playoffs once in week 18 seasons.
Fox is already an excessively well-paid level shield. It is committing to build much more in the very relevant present. At this point, it’s just a question of how exactly how much you’ll get in the future. By waiting one more year, you have a chance of earning much more than you earn today.
