Kings' De'Aaron Fox Says 'I Want to Be Here' amid Negotiations for New Contract

Sacramento Kings point guard De'Aaron Fox said Wednesday he's committed to the organization ahead of the 2020 NBA offseason, when he'll become eligible to sign a max contract extension. 

Fox explained his stance hasn't changed as the Kings prepare to take part in the resumption of the 2019-20 season at the Disney World complex in Orlando, Florida.

"It's all the same, it's all the same. I don't think there's much to say about that," Fox told reporters. "I see myself being here. I want to be here. Obviously, you know we want to win and right now, I think last year, we put ourselves in a good position. This year, we're sort of in the same position to still make the playoffs."

Sacramento is 3.5 games behind the Memphis Grizzlies for the final playoff berth in the Western Conference heading into the shortened eight-game conclusion to the regular season in Orlando. The tightly contested nature of the West race will likely lead to a play-in tournament to determine the No. 8 seed.

Fox was enjoying another strong season before play was halted in March. He averaged a 20.4 points, 6.8 assists, 4.0 rebounds and 1.4 steals while shooting 47.5 percent from the field across 45 appearances.

The 22-year-old University of Kentucky product ranked eighth among point guards in Player Efficiency Rating, according to ESPN.

He's combined with Buddy Hield to give the Kings one of the league's best young backcourt tandems. Hield has already signed a four-year, $94 million extension with the team.

Sacramento still has two years of team control on Fox. It possesses a club option for the 2020-21 season and can extend him a qualifying offer in 2021 to make him a restricted free agent, per Spotrac.

A long-term extension would provide the Kings with more financial clarity as they attempt to upgrade the roster around Fox and Hield.

In June, Jason Jones of The Athletic reported the team's front office is "committed" to the point guard and has no concerns about whether he'll sign a max deal if offered when he's first eligible.

It sounds like the interest is mutual, but the focus in the short term is trying to earn a postseason berth and a potential first-round playoff matchup against the star-studded Los Angeles Lakers.

The Kings' first game of the restart is scheduled for July 31 against the San Antonio Spurs, another team still active in the West race.