Milwaukee Bucks Should Explore A Trade For De'Aaron Fox

The Milwaukee Bucks have been linked to just about every big name on the trade market over the last month. Jimmy Butler, Zach LaVine, and even Bradley Beal have all been floated as possible additions. Some of those rumors have legs, others are pure speculation. But another way the Bucks could look at reshaping their roster for both the present and the future would be to explore a trade for the newest and hottest name on the market: De’Aaron Fox. The writing has been on the wall for a Fox trade since last summer when he declined a contract extension from the Sacramento Kings. That message only got louder when the Kings fired head coach Mike Brown earlier this season. Sacramento has been stuck in neutral after averaging 47 wins over the last two years. They’re currently 24-22, on pace for 43 wins, and sitting in 10th place in the Western Conference. They still have a path to the playoffs, but missing out entirely isn’t off the table. A first-round exit? Very much on the table. Despite the chaos, Fox is having a tremendous individual season. He’s averaging 25.2 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 6.2 assists per game while posting a 52 percent effective field goal percentage. Only four other players in the NBA are averaging at least 25/5/6 this season: LaMelo Ball, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Nikola Jokic, and Luka Doncic. That’s elite company. Fox is one of the fastest guards in the league. His lightning-quick first step makes him a nightmare for defenders, allowing him to get to his spots with ease and collapse defenses to create shots for teammates. The Bucks haven’t had a point guard with that kind of burst since peak Eric Bledsoe. There are challenges, though. Fox has reportedly identified a preferred trade destination, with many around the league speculating that he wants to end up in San Antonio. That makes sense. The Spurs have Victor Wembanyama and a blank slate to build around him. But Fox is also open to playing elsewhere, and Milwaukee would have time to convince him to stick around if they made a move. Fox is under contract for the 2025-26 season at $37 million, meaning any team that trades for him would have one full season before he hits unrestricted free agency. That’s not a ton of security, but it’s also not a one-year rental. Which brings us to the most complicated part: the trade itself. It’s always fun to play around with trade ideas, and Paul Pressey on X recently floated one that immediately grabbed attention: This trade is equal parts fascinating and unrealistic. The math checks out—both teams would meet NBA salary-matching requirements. But what about logic? Would either side actually do it? For the Bucks, this move would represent a stunning admission of failure for the Lillard-Antetokounmpo partnership. After all, Lillard has been in Milwaukee for less than two years and is just now figuring out how to mesh with Giannis. Trading him away this quickly would be a franchise-altering decision. On the flip side, this deal would reset Milwaukee’s timeline. Lillard is 34 years old, firmly in the back half of his career. No one knows how many prime years he has left. Fox is 27 and entering his best years. Pairing him with Antetokounmpo would extend the Bucks’ championship window into the late 2020s and beyond. If the Bucks could somehow land both Fox and Murray, it would be a home run for Milwaukee’s long-term outlook. And then there’s the draft capital problem. The Bucks don’t have many assets to dangle. They could include their 2031 first-round pick and a 2031 second-round pick, but those are seven years away. That’s not exactly a jackpot for Sacramento. Even then, the entire concept hinges on poor decision-making from the Kings’ ownership and front office. If they get desperate enough to shake things up, maybe they bite. But it’s a long shot. Trading for Fox would be a gamble, but it’s one worth exploring. Lillard’s age, Milwaukee’s timeline, and Fox’s potential fit make it at least worth a phone call to Sacramento. That’s assuming the Kings are even open to business with Milwaukee.