How Christie is managing Fox trade rumors with Kings’ locker room

How Christie is managing Fox trade rumors with Kings’ locker room originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

It’s been a tense couple of days for the Kings after reports emerged that Sacramento could potentially engage in trade talks involving star guard De’Aaron Fox ahead of the Feb. 6 NBA trade deadline.

After Fox addressed those rumors for the first time earlier Tuesday, coach Doug Christie discussed how he’s approaching the situation within the Kings’ locker room.

“It’s the business of basketball, and then there’s basketball,” Christie told reporters ahead of Sacramento’s matchup with the Philadelphia 76ers. “And basketball — this space out here — is our sanctuary. This is where we come to relax. This is where we love each other. This is where we hold arms. I’ve been traded in this league; I’ve been traded on this team, so it’s part of what we do. We know that when we sign up.

“But this is our sanctuary, and that’s how we’ll treat it when we step out on the court.”

As Christie alluded to, the 15-year NBA veteran was traded both to and from the Kings as a player. So, he’s got a unique perspective on preventing these murmurs from affecting his team on the court.

Christie also isn’t afraid to confront this situation head-on with his players; he verbally communicated that intended mindset to the Kings’ roster.

“We’re a family,” Christie explained, “so I want them to feel as comfortable and as safe as possible in our space because that’s our space to do what we do. And when you come in that space, it’s all love.”

If there’s a silver lining for Sacramento, the team won’t be in limbo regarding Fox’s trade status for long. The NBA trade deadline is just over one week away, so a decision will have to be made fairly quickly on the Kings’ star player.

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