Michael Shapiro is a sports reporter for Chron, covering the Astros, Rockets, Texans and every team in town. Michael is a Denver native and graduate of the University of Texas at Austin, and a noted fan of pull-up threes, wide-receiver passes and a good hot fudge sundae.

These three teams are rising contenders in need of a star point guard and have the kinds of assets that the Kings would be interested in.

In case you missed it, the Sacramento Kings are expected to open trade talks around franchise point guard De'Aaron Fox, ESPN's Shams Charania reported Tuesday, and Fox's preferred landing spot is San Antonio.

Despite sitting in second place in the Western Conference and boasting a haul of future draft picks, the Houston Rockets don't seem like they will

On top of Barnes' potential return, the Kings can likely poach the Spurs' Rookie of the Year front-runner Stephon Castle in a deal. Castle is averaging 11.7 points and 3.6 assists as the No. 4 overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, proving to be acclimating to the next level rather quickly at just 20 years old.

Fox, who was an NBA All-Star and NBA Clutch Player of the Year in 2023, led the league in steals last season. According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, there will be “ plenty of suitors ” for his services if he does become available on the trade market.

San Antonio Spurs phenom Victor Wembanyama and rookie Stephon Castle highlight the selections for the 2025 Rising Stars game at All-Star Weekend.The annual event features 21 NBA rookies and sophomores and seven G League players.

The Denver Nuggets are 28-19 after three straight losses on their current five-game road trip. Currently sitting at fourth place in the Western Conference, the Nuggets have mostly bounced back from an inconsistent start to the season, though weaknesses on defense continue to show.

That’s because the Spurs — reportedly Fox’s preferred trade destination — currently have nine tradeable first-round picks that they can include in a deal to the Heat’s one tradeable first-round selection. San Antonio also has young talent such as Keldon Johnson, Devin Vassell and others who it can add to any trade package for Fox.

ESPN's Shams Charania reports that several teams have been reaching out to Kings regarding De'Aaron Fox ahead of 2025 NBA trade deadline

Victor Wembanyama said his charge at Ivica Zubac during a San Antonio Spurs loss to the Los Angeles Clippers was the result of building frustration from what he believes is unfair treatment by NBA referees.