DeMar DeRozan finds Kings future 'tough' to see without De'Aaron Fox

The "Light the Beam" era of the Sacramento Kings is rapidly devolving into yet another dark time for the forlorn franchise.

De'Aaron Fox's refusal to sign a contract extension has forced the Kings to recoup whatever value they can retain on the trade market before the Feb. 6 deadline. The star guard's impending departure follows the franchise's surprise firing of head coach Mike Brown just two seasons after he ended Sacramento's 16-year playoff drought.

Further consequences could come if Fox is shipped out of town. For one, DeMar DeRozan might not want to stick around the California capital to see what comes of the post-Brown, post-Fox era.

While appearing on FanDuel's "Run It Back" show, DeRozan admitted that Sacramento's upheaval might force him to reconsider his future with the team.

"It's tough," said DeRozan, who joined the Kings last offseason on a three-year, $74 million sign-and-trade deal. "Looking at the landscape before I got here, the guys I talked to were Fox, (Domantas Sabonis) and Malik (Monk), the core guys that made it easy for me to make my decision to play here. A key player, a key juggernaut in Fox, not knowing the future of that, it does make it tough.

"I don't have much time left. I'm not trying to play another five years. I try to maximize the opportunity we have now to play with a great team. You never know when dominoes fall the wrong way when it comes to organization. It makes it tough. So, it's something we just got to wait out and see and in the meantime make the most out of it. We'll see how it pans out."

. @DeMar_DeRozan may reconsider his future with the Kings if De'Aaron Fox is traded. Until then, his focus is making the most of his time in Sacramento.

"Not knowing the future of that does make it tougher. I don't have much time left. I'm not trying to play another five years." pic.twitter.com/r3eDGOWivb
— Run It Back (@RunItBackFDTV) January 30, 2025

In 2002-23, the Kings finally emerged from the wilderness of NBA mediocrity under Brown, who emphasized defense and instilled a winning mentality to lead the Kings to an 18-win turnaround with a 48-34 record and the Western Conference's No. 3 seed. A first-round seven-game series loss to the rival Golden State Warriors put a damper on Sacramento's revelatory season.

The Kings slipped to ninth in the West last season and are currently 10th at 24-23 despite the addition of DeRozan. The franchise finds itself at a crossroads with Fox's unhappiness and wish to play elsewhere, preferably in San Antonio with Spurs phenom Victor Wembanyama.

Maybe the Kings navigate the difficult situation to continue its improved play under interim coach Doug Christie. However, the fallout of the Fox drama sure feels like another disappointing "Kangz" chapter is being written.

DeMar DeRozan finds his Kings future ‘tough’ to see without De’Aaron Fox

By Joe Lago | 6:05 PM EST