Ultimately this is a meaningless exercise as it has no bearing on what the team will actually do and is extremely likely to be completely wrong. However, I felt like making a post for a couple reasons:

1) I honestly think this team CAN improve in a Fox trade scenario, and I have a couple ideas as to how. I feel like too many fans have been sliding into a doomer mindset around this Fox business and just assuming the team needs to blow it up if he's gone. I'd like to show people that's not necessarily true.

2) I like doing this kind of thing and my ADHD brain is running wild with all the vague rumors and speculation we've seen over the past 72 hours or so lol.

The scenarios here will primarily focus on two main points of info that seem reasonably reliable that have come out today - that the Kings/Spurs are supposedly close on a "complex" 4-team trade deal, and that the Kings would be looking to "re-tool" and still compete with their current core in a Fox trade scenario - plus various rumors of players that might be available and/or teams that are known to be in rebuild/tank mode.

Scenario 1

4-Team Trade: Kings, Spurs, Bulls, Pacers

https://i.imgur.com/vzDPhCd.jpeg

Kings get: LaVine, Toppin, picks

Spurs get: Fox

Bulls get: Vassell, Huerter, picks

Pacers get: Sochan, McDermott, picks

Additional Trade: Kings, Wizards

https://i.imgur.com/JK8MTSJ.jpeg

Kings get: Valanciunas

Wizards get: Lyles, Len, picks

Kings projected rotation after trades:

PG: Monk, Carter
SG: LaVine, Ellis
SF: DeMar, (LaVine/Toppin)
PF: Murray, Toppin
C: Sabonis, Valanciunas

Rationale:

Kings get to move off of a malcontent Fox that doesn't really fit the roster or identity the team is trying to build in favor of a true SG that can score at nearly the same clip as Fox in LaVine. LaVine is posting an absurd 44.6 3P% and 63.7 TS% this season on effectively 10 3PA per game. His 24/4.8/4.5 totals lag just a hair behind Fox's 25/5/6.2 in plain box-score numbers, but LaVine would fit the roster MUCH better than Fox, as a truly elite 3pt threat that can play much more effectively off the ball and act as a secondary/connective playmaker. Defensively, Fox is technically "better" than LaVine, but both are basically the same tier - a bit below average - while LaVine is at least big enough to provide a bit more size to the guard rotation or play the 3 at times and let Keon + Keegan wreak some havoc as the 2/4. He can also pick up some backup PG duties to let Carter work up to speed more gradually if needed.

Meanwhile, Kings also pick up Obi Toppin and Jonas Valanciunas to replace Huerter and Lyles and fortify their bench. These should be pretty self-explanatory, but Toppin is a hyper-athletic forward with some 3pt shooting chops that should play very well off of high-vision passers like Monk and Sabonis, and has been rumored to be potentially on offer in trade talks. JV is an extremely solid backup big that would honestly be starting for the Wizards if they were actually trying to win and could still start on several teams in the league. Has some rapport with Domas from national team times and might even be able to share the floor with him for a few mpg since both can shoot now. (Not super counting on that though.)

Kings also pick up a potentially very solid pick in unprotected ATL 1st rounder this year, to compensate for moving off Fox to a theoretical slight downgrade in value in a vacuum, LaVine.

Spurs get Fox, ultimately giving up in essence Vassell, Sochan, and 2.5 picks (none their own) for DeAaron. Fox would replace Vassell in the rotation and probably eat some of CP3's minutes as well. Spurs would be able to extend and then have 4-5 years to pick up 1-2 other pieces around Wemby/Fox/Castle.

Bulls get off of LaVine's large contract and his talent that's preventing them from properly tanking. Vassell still has potential, and Huerter might remember how to shoot at some point and be a positive player or an asset they can flip. They get the pick "back" they traded to SAS (that probably would not have conveyed this year anyways) and a later unprotected ATL pick.

Pacers get a big upgrade defensively on the wing in Sochan, plus some 2nd rounders.

Wizards get insurance for their tank and pick up some 2nd rounders and a tradeable asset in Lyles at the same time.

Scenario 2

4-Team Trade: Kings, Spurs, Blazers, Pelicans

https://i.imgur.com/g0tgWyW.jpeg

Kings get: Grant, (Kris) Murray, picks

Spurs get: Fox

Blazers get: Ingram

Pelicans get: Vassell, Sochan, pick

Additional Trade: Kings, Wizards

https://i.imgur.com/G9Fz7xS.jpeg

Kings get: Valanciunas, Bey

Wizards get: Huerter, pick

Kings projected rotation after trades:

PG: Monk, Carter
SG: (Keegan) Murray, Ellis
SF: DeMar, (Bey/Murrays)
PF: Grant, Lyles
C: Sabonis, Valanciunas

Rationale:

Kings don't get quite the same caliber of player back in this trade, but Jerami Grant has been a fringe All-Star in the past and is one of the top "3&D" role players in the league at minimum. He's having a bit of a down year this year, so you'd be gambling on him returning to his form from the previous couple/few years where he averaged roughly 20/4/2.5 on roughly 45/40/80 splits as a high-level defender. Keegan can essentially play the 2 in the starting lineup while DeRozan can just hide on the weakest opposing wing player, and a defensive frontline of Grant + Murray should be really solid. Mix Ellis in there when possible for potentially one of the top wing defensive cores in the league. Kris Murray comes back mostly for twin bro vibes, but he's shown some flashes. He likely won't ever be a player of Keegan's level, but the two should elevate each other and maybe Kris could learn some things from Keegan.

Kings again trade with the Wizards to bring in JV, but this time since they didn't send Huerter before, they use him as the trade piece. Huerter gets a chance to potentially revive his career or get re-routed by the Wizards for additional assets. Kings get back Saddiq Bey, who hasn't played at all this season due to injury but show some flashes of being a solid rotation player in DET and ATL.

Kings get more pick compensation back from SAS in this scenario.

Trade is basically the same from Spurs perspective, but sending a protected pick out instead of an unprotected one.

Blazers get to move off of one of their longest and most expensive contracts that doesn't fit their timeline at all for an expiring BI that they might be able to convince to re-sign and be part of the new core, or at worst free up a ton of cap space.

Pels get some young guys and maybe a protected pick back and get to move off the headache of the expiring Ingram who has been stalwart in his demands for a max contract from the Pels.

Scenario 3

4-Team Trade: Kings, Spurs, Pelicans, Lakers

https://i.imgur.com/9N3suAi.jpeg

Kings get: Zion, Hachimura, Christie, filler, picks

Spurs get: Fox

Pelicans get: Vassell, Lyles, picks

Lakers get: DeRozan

Additional Trade: Kings, Wizards

https://i.imgur.com/G9Fz7xS.jpeg

Kings get: Valanciunas, Bey

Wizards get: Huerter, pick

Kings projected rotation after trades:

PG: Monk, Carter
SG: Ellis, Christie
SF: Murray, (Bey)
PF: Zion, Hachimura
C: Sabonis, Valanciunas

Rationale:

Kings take a massive swing. Zion has consistently struggled to stay healthy, but when he's on the floor, he's one of the most dominant players in the league. Kings would be banking on their ability to help reform his diet and exercise habits to keep his weight under control and conditioning up to par. However, Zion and DeMar probably would really struggle to share the court together, so the Kings would also have to move DeMar. I semi-arbitrarily picked the Lakers as a team it feels like would be a fit for him (certainly timeline-wise) while also being able to make the trade work. Kings get back Hachimura and Christie as the main pieces, very solid rotational depth, with a pick swap - or possibly protected pick - from the Lakers as well, in a few years when they will virtually certainly be rebuilding. If Zion could stay healthy in this scenario it would completely transform this roster, and that projected starting lineup is spooky. If not, this would likely lead to a total rebuild in a couple years' time, either focusing around Keon, Keegan, Carter, or potentially other young guys acquired later via draft/trades. Huge risk, huge reward.

Kings again didn't move Huerter so they can theoretically do the same trade with the Wizards. Kings do get back like, way too many players, so some guys will need to be waived or moved in some other way to consolidate roster space.

Again, basically same jazz for Spurs, but they move one more pick instead of Sochan.

Pels get to kick-start a rebuild with several picks that should be pretty good, plus hope that Vassell takes some of the flashes that he's shown and becomes a really good young guy. This would probably be just the first of a few trades for them, as they would also try to move Ingram and possibly McCollum.

Lakers move some rotational guys for a proper 3rd star next to LeBron and AD. Would it work? Who knows, that's a lot of old and not a lot of shooting. But it definitely raises the talent level on the roster and DeMar certainly fits the timeline, and I could see the Lakers ownership/FO buying into the star power again.

Closing Thoughts

These are just a few of many possible options once you start talking about "complex 4-team trades" in the NBA. Do I think any of them are actually likely to happen as listed or even close? No, not really. This is just an exercise to illustrate the fact that it would be possible for the Kings to trade Fox and still compete right now, as in this season and the next 2-3. They could very easily even get better, as we've seen that several of the Kings best lineups have Monk at PG and Fox on the bench - and that's without including any players or other assets the Kings can get back from trading him.

Personally, I actually kinda like the option in Scenario 1. I think it's fairly low-risk for a moderate improvement to the roster. Scenario 2 is slightly riskier and improves the roster slightly less imo, but still not a bad option at all. Scenario 3 - or other variations possibly bringing back a guy like Butler instead of Zion, for example - are extremely risky, but could result in a huge payoff if they go right.

TL;DR:

Don't panic or doom about trading Fox. Is he a great player and one of the best Kings in the Sac era? Absolutely. But have we also already seen the peak of this team with Fox as the #1 option and this core around him? That's very likely. Sometimes, it's just better for both parties to move on to something else. And even though in the NBA that often means blowing up a roster to rebuild, there are very real scenarios for this Kings team where that isn't the case - after all, Sabonis is the actual best player on this roster, and the Kings will still have Monk, DeMar, Keon, Keegan... and whoever they can get back for Fox.