Don’t expect every player to follow Jalen Brunson’s lead.
De’Aaron Fox of the Sacramento Kings is eligible this summer and could sign a three-year, $165 million extension to be attached to the $71.9 million he is owed the next two years. In a move that should surprise no one, he is turning that offer around to sign a much larger extension next summer, something ESPN’s Shams Charania reported.
The reason is money. Next summer, Fox will be eligible for a four-year, $229 million deal (a deal worth an average of $2.25 million more a season than he can sign now, plus he gets an extra year of security). The biggest bet is, if Fox can make All-NBA again this coming season (he did it in 2022-23), he can sign a four-year, $345 million supermax extension — which would make him the highest-paid player in NBA history. (for a year, until Luka Doncic becomes eligible for an extension).
Whether or not he gets the supermax money, Fox gets an extra year of security and more money in his contract waiting, so he’d be wise to do so. Never blame anyone for grabbing the biggest bag they can.
Sacramento – with DeMar DeRozan added to All-Stars Fox and Domantas Sabonis – will win a lot of regular season games this season and has a legitimate shot to be a top six seed in the West (the challenge is a dozen). teams in the West who believe they are worthy of a top six finish and avoiding the play-in). If that happens, Fox making an All-NBA team is absolutely in play, which means his bigger payday is, too. It’s another subplot to watch in what will be a wild West this season.
