NBA Insider: 'Uncertainty' if Kings Would Trade De'Aaron Fox to 'Bitter Rival' Lakers

De'Aaron Fox has been involved in trade rumors for much of the season and his future with the Sacramento Kings is unclear.

If the Kings decide to trade him, they reportedly might avoid sending him to their rivals to the south.

Jovan Buha of The Athletic said on his YouTube channel on Saturday that there's "uncertainty" regarding the Kings' willingness to deal Fox to the Los Angeles Lakers.

"There's a lot of uncertainty about how available he actually is," Buha said (1:02:00 mark). "There's some uncertainty about would they even trade him to the Lakers, their bitter rival."

Fox, now in his eighth season in the NBA, is putting up 25.1 points, 6.2 assists and 5.0 rebounds per game this year. He could certainly turn the Lakers from a fringe playoff team to a Finals contender, but the Kings would likely need a big return for the 27-year-old.

If Sacramento moves on from Fox, it might wait until after the season. The Athletic's Sam Amick reported earlier this month that there is a "strong belief" that Fox is more likely to be moved this summer.

Should the Kings opt to trade Fox during the regular season, Amick reported that the Orlando Magic "are known to be contemplating a pursuit," also noting the San Antonio Spurs, Miami Heat and Lakers are potentially interested teams.

The Kings were far from playoff contention earlier this year but found their groove after firing head coach Mike Brown. Sacramento has won 10 of its last 13 games and is now sitting at 23-22, just outside of the top eight in the West.

Had the Kings' struggles continued, trading Fox could have been a smart move to start planning for the future. Now that they're in the playoff hunt, it might be worth holding onto their star at least until the offseason.