NBA Intel: De’Aaron Fox trade talks, Spurs, Rockets, Heat, Nets, 76ers, Hawks, Pistons

With De’Aaron Fox having a destination in mind ahead of his 2026 free agency, the Sacramento Kings are listening to trade inquiries on their star point guard and have received numerous calls from teams with interest.

Before the latest news on Fox, Sacramento was trying to upgrade its roster by discussing trades with the Brooklyn Nets for forward Cam Johnson and the Utah Jazz for forward John Collins, league sources told HoopsHype. It’s unclear how Fox’s trade market will affect Sacramento’s discussions for Johnson and Collins.

Sacramento’s most consistent trade discussions had centered around Kevin Huerter, Trey Lyles, and future draft pick compensation, sources said.

The prevailing belief within league circles is that Fox is eyeing the San Antonio Spurs looking ahead toward his free agency.

The Spurs have max cap space for the summer of 2026 as Fox will enter unrestricted free agency.

San Antonio also has young assets in Devin Vassell and Stephon Castle, along with up to nine future first-round picks to dangle.

It’s also worth noting Fox’s wife, Recee, grew up in San Antonio.

With the Spurs outside the Play-In Tournament and franchise cornerstone Victor Wembanyama too good for any potential tanking towards the end of the season, it could be time for San Antonio to pair him with another star sooner than expected.

Another Texas team, the Houston Rockets, has also been linked to Fox.

If Houston exercises its $44.89 million team option on starting point guard Fred VanVleet for the 2025-26 season, he will be eligible for unrestricted free agency by the summer of 2026, when Fox also would hit the market.

The Rockets also have expiring contracts in Steve Adams ($12.6 million), Jeff Green ($8 million), Jae’Sean Tate ($7.57 million), and Jock Landale has a non-guaranteed $8 million salary for the 2025-26 season.

Former No. 3 overall pick Reed Sheppard was also highly coveted before the draft by various teams. Tari Eason and Cam Whitmore are other young, talented players who could thrive with bigger roles elsewhere. The Rockets also have several first-round picks they can dangle, including an unprotected 2027 first-round pick from Phoenix, which is after Kevin Durant is set to hit free agency.

To this point, however, the Rockets signaled a patient approach with its young core that currently holds the second-best record in the West.

The Miami Heat have also been linked to Fox since they have max cap space for the summer of 2026, and center Bam Adebayo was Fox’s roommate at Kentucky as the two have remained close since.

However, Miami doesn’t have much draft capital to dangle in trades. For now, Miami is focused on trading Jimmy Butler.

Lastly, the Brooklyn Nets have prominently been linked to Fox.

Brooklyn has the future max cap space and has up to 12 tradeable future first-round picks they can dangle to pivot in several directions looking ahead. Fox also played for Nets coach Jordi Fernandez, an associate head coach alongside Mike Brown during their time together in Sacramento.

While the Nets have significant trade assets and a clear connection to Fox on paper, acquiring him at the start of a rebuild in the middle of the season with no other stars around him and then having to pay him a max contract in the summer of 2026 doesn’t align with Brooklyn’s rebuilding plan coming into the season.

San Antonio Spurs forward Keldon Johnson is a player several NBA executives are monitoring as a potential trade candidate if the team acquires De’Aaron Fox in a multi-team trade before the deadline.

Two seasons removed from averaging 22 points per game, Johnson is still only 25 years old and is also intriguing given his descending contract. Johnson, who’s owed $19 million this season, is owed $35 million over the next two seasons ($17.5 million each season).

Well before Fox became a trade candidate, the Spurs previously checked in to gauge the price tag on Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram, league sources told HoopsHype. Talks, however, were described as exploratory interest.

Amid a frustrating season that began with championship aspirations has the Philadelphia 76ers currently on the outside of the Play-In Tournament due to a bevy of injuries.

In light of Philadelphia’s struggles, teams across the league have reached out to see if the 76ers would consider selling off players such as Caleb Martin, Kelly Oubre Jr.,  Guerschon Yabusele, Andre Drummond, and Eric Gordon, league sources told HoopsHype.

Numerous contenders have called to gauge Martin’s availability. Martin signed a four-year, $35 million deal with Philadelphia this past summer and has been a consistent 3-and-D swingman rotation player the past four years.

Oubre has averaged 14.9 points on 44.8 percent shooting with 5.5 rebounds, and 1.3 steals during his 76ers tenure and has an $8.38 million player option for next season.

Several teams have expressed interest in trading for Yabusele, including the Boston Celtics, New York Knicks, Denver Nuggets, and others, league sources told HoopsHype.

After six years away from the NBA and an impactful Olympics with France this past summer, Yabusele has returned to the league and proven he’s here to stay. The French forward has averaged 10.4 points on 50.2 percent shooting from the field and 39.3 percent from beyond the arc with 5.5 rebounds in 26.2 minutes. Yabusele will enter unrestricted free agency and is expected to draw interest from several teams, given his play this season.

Teams searching for backup center depth are monitoring Drummond, who remains one of the league’s best rebounders when healthy.

Gordon has played well over his last 12 games, averaging 11.5 points on 50.6 percent shooting from the field and 53.1 percent from three-point range as he’s seen a more consistent role at 26.9 minutes per game.

NBA executives across the league are monitoring how the loss of Hawks rising star Jalen Johnson for the season could affect Atlanta’s decision-making ahead of the trade deadline.

There’s a growing sense that Hawks swingman Bogdan Bogdanovic could be traded ahead of the deadline, league sources told HoopsHype.

The Phoenix Suns, Miami Heat, and other teams have expressed interest in trading for Bogdanovic, league sources told HoopsHype.

As previously reported on HoopsHype two days ago, the Suns are also exploring pairing one of the newly acquired first-round picks from Utah with Jusuf Nurkic to acquire a starting-caliber or high-level rotation player on the trade market. Bogdanovic fits that criterion and has been discussed in trade talks involving Nurkic and a future first-round pick in a larger potential construct, league sources told HoopsHype.

Bogdanovic, who was listed as “not with the team” on the injury report, is 32 and doesn’t align with Atlanta’s young core.

Despite missing nearly half of Atlanta’s games this season and struggling at times with his rhythm, some around the league believe the career 38-percent three-point shooter could be rejuvenated during the second half of the season. Bogdanovic’s contract is considered moveable. It includes $17.26 million this season, $16 million guaranteed for the 2025-26 season, and has a team option at $16 million for the 2026-27 season.

In addition to Bogdanovic, another veteran for the Hawks has drawn interest on the trade market.

Hawks center Clint Capela has drawn trade interest from multiple teams, league sources told HoopsHype. One caveat, however, is that teams reaching out on Capela are currently proposing offers with player(s) under contract beyond this season.

Furthermore, Sixth Man of the Year award candidate De’Andre Hunter has also drawn interest amid the best season of his career, league sources told HoopsHype.

Hunter discussed his career season coming off the bench, his award candidacy, how coach Quin Snyder has unlocked his potential, Atlanta’s young core going forward, Trae Young’s growth, and more in a recent HoopsHype interview.

The Detroit Pistons are seeking a future first-round pick as a facilitator using their $14 million cap space in multi-team trade scenarios, league sources told HoopsHype.

Teams looking to dump unwanted salaries to duck below the luxury tax threshold and second apron have circled with interest.

In case you missed it, Pistons sharpshooter and upcoming free agent Malik Beasley has also drawn trade interest from championship contenders but wants to remain in Detroit, as he told HoopsHype in our recent interview.

You can follow Michael Scotto (@MikeAScotto) on X, formerly known as Twitter.