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Source: Kings willing to discuss De’Aaron Fox in deal for Pacers All-Star Domantas Sabonis

The Kings were not willing to entertain the thought of trading De’Aaron Fox last summer when they started surveying the market for a transformational move to alter the course of the franchise, but the situation in Sacramento has changed.

A league source told The Sacramento Bee the Kings have stepped up their pursuit of Indiana Pacers big man Domantas Sabonis and they are willing to include Fox in those discussions. Fox was so far off the table he wasn’t discussed when the Kings approached the Philadelphia 76ers about Ben Simmons last summer, sources with knowledge of the talks told The Bee, but now Fox is reportedly part of those conversations as well.

The winds of change keep swirling faster in Sacramento with just over three weeks remaining before the Feb. 10 NBA trade deadline. The Kings (18-28) desperately want to end the NBA’s longest playoff drought after 15 consecutive losing seasons — or at least reach the play-in tournament — but at this point they are failing to meet even modest expectations.

Buddy Hield, Marvin Bagley III, Harrison Barnes and Richaun Holmes have been the subject of trade speculation dating back to last season. This is new terrain for Fox, who is in the first year of a five-year, $163 million max contract, but he told ABC10’s Sean Cunningham he was not surprised to hear his name in trade rumors.

“In most sports, most players come up in trade talks,” Fox said after practice Tuesday as the Kings prepared to face the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday night at Golden 1 Center. “Obviously, you don’t have too many people who are really untouchable, so you always know something can happen.”

The Kings will have to consider their options carefully when it comes to the dynamic young point guard who averaged 25.2 points and 7.2 assists last season at age 23. The organization has viewed Fox as the centerpiece of its rebuild since he came out of Kentucky as the No. 5 pick in the 2017 NBA draft, but general manager Monte McNair has signaled he will do whatever is necessary to improve the team.

The Athletic’s Sam Amick strongly linked the Kings to Sabonis on “The Athletic NBA Show” podcast Tuesday, ranking Simmons and then Sabonis as Sacramento’s two biggest priorities leading up to the trade deadline. Defense, rebounding and playmaking have been three of Sacramento’s biggest weaknesses this season. Simmons and Sabonis would check a lot of boxes in those areas if the Kings were able to acquire either of them, although both players come with their own strengths and weaknesses.

Sabonis, 25, is a two-time All-Star who is in the second year of a four-year, $74.9 million deal. He is owed $18.5 million next season and $19.4 million in 2023-24. The Pacers are seeking an All-Star caliber player in return for Sabonis and have received offers matching their criteria, a source told The Bee. Fox has yet to achieve All-Star status, but a deal involving Fox and one or more draft picks could get Indiana’s attention.

The thought of bringing Fox to Indiana to play with a shot-blocking, floor-spacing center like Myles Turner might hold some appeal for both sides, as Bleacher Report recently reported the Kings have shown interest in Turner as well. Reports have suggested the Pacers are willing to consider trading Sabonis or Turner, but not both.

Turner would be an intriguing addition in Sacramento as well, but Sabonis is seen as the bigger prize. He is averaging 18.9 points, 11.9 rebounds and 4.7 assists this season, down slightly from 20.3 points, 12.0 rebounds and 6.7 assists last season. At 6-foot-11 and 240 pounds, the Oregon-born Lithuanian big man can play power forward and center. He ranks fifth in the NBA this season in offensive win shares (4.3), seventh in true shooting percentage (.645) and 15th in offensive rating (121.9).

Sabonis is third in the NBA this season in total rebounds (511) and fifth in rebounds per game. He has ranked in the top five in rebounding average each of the past three seasons. He is 11th in defensive rebounding percentage this season after ranking in the top 10 the past three seasons. That will hold strong appeal for a Kings team that ranks 29th in the league in opponent second-chance points.

Sabonis has also been durable, missing only 39 games in six seasons since coming out of Gonzaga as the No. 11 pick in the 2016 NBA draft. Sabonis might not be the best answer to Sacramento’s defensive issues, but he would add toughness and rebounding, and his scoring and playmaking ability would bring a new dimension to the offense.

Simmons, 25, is a three-time All-Star and two-time NBA All-Defensive First Team selection. He is in the second year of a five-year, $177.2 million deal that will pay him $35.4 million next season, $37.9 million in 2023-24 and $40.3 million in 2024-25.

Simmons was the No. 1 pick in the 2016 NBA draft and the 2018 NBA Rookie of the Year. He averaged 15.9 points, 8.1 rebounds, 7.7 assists and 1.6 steals over his first four seasons with the 76ers, but he has not appeared in a game this season after demanding a trade in August.

Simmons is uniquely gifted as a 6-11, 240-pound point guard who rebounds, runs the floor and facilitates for others. His odd shooting struggles have been well documented. He is a career 14.7% 3-point shooter who has made 59.7% from the free-throw line, but he still finds his own way to score with efficiency, as evidenced by his career scoring average and .560 shooting percentage.

The Simmons saga has dragged on for months with 76ers president Daryl Morey holding out for a return the rest of the league has deemed unreasonable. The Athletic recently reported the 76ers have talked to the Kings and Atlanta Hawks about a larger deal that would include Simmons and Tobias Harris, who is in the third year of a five-year, $180 million deal. Simmons and Harris are owed a combined $73 million next season.

The Kings are discussing big deals on multiple fronts as the trade deadline approaches. How long will they wait for Simmons? What would it take to get Sabonis? What will this team look like when the deadline passes? These are questions that will be answered in the days and weeks ahead, but the trade winds are blowing and changes could be on the way.