De'Aaron Fox on Haliburton trade, NBA Draft regrets & Kings playoff drought | Draymond Green Show

What's up everybody? It's Draymond Green. Make sure you subscribe to the Volumes YouTube channel below so you don't miss any more of this great content going forward. What's up everybody? Welcome back to the Draymond Green Show. Our next, our guest for this week is an exciting one, an electrifying one. None other than, well, let me rewind. 5th pick in the NBA draft in 2017. Brother just got a nice contract not long ago. I need a loan. So I'm already putting my call in. I know the calls really start coming in when the bag hit. I need a loan. I'm putting my ask in right now. A guy who I look at and think he will and should be a future All-Star. And I'm looking forward to seeing that happen. Honored to have our next guest, De'Aaron Fox. What's up, my brother?

What's up, man? I appreciate you having me, dog.

Absolutely. Just before we actually started filming this, you just mentioned your new coach, Mike Brown, who I had the pleasure of playing for, I think, 6 years. Mike Brown was here. And, you know, so I understand Mike's psyche. I understand how he coached, but just for starters, how has that been adjusting to a new coach? And in specifics, Mike Brown.

Well, when you got on, I just told you, I'm like, these practices have been long. But this is something that I feel like we've just, that we've needed. Like I said this, I think at the end of last year, obviously knowing that we need a new coach, I'm like, we just need structure. Like we need somebody that's gonna pay attention, that's gonna be real attentive to every little thing. And he, something will be good, he'll stop it, he'll nitpick. And I'm like, that's something that we needed. You already know y'all could have a terrible game, you could win. So it's like, what did we learn? And I think that's what he's brought to us, you know, from day one. It could be good, but it could always have been better.

Absolutely. No, that's absolutely incredible. You know, obviously we have Mike as an assistant coach and you could still feel his imprint on things, like imprint on drills. The drills start to go long. Very detail-oriented, but Mike B could get a little long-winded, but I love Mike B, that's my guy. But film can get long. You have to tell Mike—

We ain't had, we haven't had a day where film went the right amount of time. It's gone over. Every day of training camp has gone over.

Gotta love it. Gotta love it. But no, I agree with you. I think, you know, to have someone that's bringing that structure, to you guys, like you all have a lot of young talent, you know, and like you're just now starting to tap into your talent, you know, bringing over Sabonis, who's still a fairly young dude, Kevin Huerter, Davion Mitchell, the list goes on and on. You guys have a lot of young talent. And so I think adding that structure and especially what he's going to bring on the defensive end, I think, you know, Mike Brown is a defensive genius. I'd have the opportunity to pick his brain and we toss ideas back and forth. So I'm actually happy for you and for y'all moving forward. 'Cause I think it'll be a really good thing for y'all.

Yeah, for sure. I mean, this is the most talented team I've had since I've been in the league and it's not even close. But one of our problems has been, we've been terrible defensively and like we know it, you know it, everybody knows it. We've been horrible. So to bring in somebody like that is definitely gonna, gonna help us and just push me personally to be a better defender. Like I know I can be it.

Absolutely.

And he knows I can be it.

Absolutely. Now that's incredible. At the deadline last year, you guys made a few trades, but obviously the big one being bringing in Sabonis. And I think, you know, that was a great value add for you guys with just what he brings to the table on a nightly basis. I think it's incredible. And like I said, still a fairly young guy.

Yeah.

What did that trade, what did that message send to you as the franchise guard? And also what were y'all able to find, like chemistry amongst you two towards those last couple months of the season that y'all got to play together?

Yeah, I mean, when the trade happened, obviously everybody's talking about, you know, the me and Tyrese dynamic, you know, who's picking, blah, blah, blah. And when the trade happened, for one, he told me, and I was like, "Yo, you lying." Like, "Yo, they didn't trade you." And then Woj tweeted like 2 minutes later. I'm like, "Wow, we really did that." But obviously seeing that we got Domas back, I'm like, every time we done matched up with bro, he's 20 and 20, 20 and 15 every time we played him. So I'm like, I'm excited to play with him. But for me, just playing with somebody, and hell, Steph could probably, Steph and Klay can attribute that to playing with you. Having a big that can pass the ball, the way that y'all pass the ball is, it opens up the world. And I mean, I was shooting like 38% from 3 since we got him. So he's just helped expand my game tremendously. And having a big like that and then getting shooters around him, I think is, it makes our team so much better.

And it's—

Absolutely. It's fun playing with guys that can pass the ball like that. Pass the ball outta the high post, pass it outta the low post, pass it off the top of the key. He can grab a rebound and go. Like, ask Steph or anybody, man, they have fun playing with people like that.

Absolutely, no doubt, man, definitely. And I think, you know, I wanna ask a question also along the same lines of the trade. What message did it send to you from the organization that they decided to trade Tyrese? 'Cause I know there was, you know, once they drafted Tyrese, there was like this thing of like, oh, are they, planning for Tyrese to be their franchise point guard moving forward. Like, how does this work? And then a year into him being there, or a year and a half or whatever it was, he gets traded. And in my opinion, I think that sends a clear-cut message. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

For me, it's like, man, for me, it's like, yo, they believe in me. But two, it's like, motherfucker, we just traded somebody who can be a franchise point guard either here or somewhere else. So you better get on your shit and you better start winning. Like, so it's like, does it add pressure? Yeah, a little bit. But at the end of the day, I've been trying to, you know, get us into the playoffs for years. So it's a little added pressure ain't never hurt nobody.

Absolutely. And speaking of the playoffs, I know everybody make this big deal of like playoff drought. And obviously you guys having the longest playoff drought. Question I wanna ask you, 'cause I think, You know, I catch a lot of flack from people. Not a lot of flack, because flack wouldn't be the right word. But from time to time I get people telling me like, "Oh man, you wouldn't be nothing if you weren't on the Warriors." Or like, "Your success is predicated on the Warriors." And you know, it's funny to me because the Warriors didn't have success before I got here. So the whole notion of like, I didn't go to the Los Angeles Lakers or like the Boston Celtics or somewhere that like had success. Before I got to the Warriors, they won 23 games the year before. So I always laugh at that notion. And saying that, you know, people would always just speak about Warriors basketball of the past before we got here, which wasn't very successful. I think before we made the playoffs in 2012, that, you know, or 2012-13 season, that that was the second time in 20 years the Warriors had made the playoffs. And so, you know, people would be holding onto that and almost make you feel like as a player that that's your burden.

Yeah.

You know, like it's your fault. And I wanted to ask, like, do you feel some of that burden being a franchise guy of, the longest drought or do you just feel the burden of since I've been here?

I mean, I wanna say since I've been here, but every time you see a little Instagram post, yo, the Sacramento Kings ain't been there for 16 years, I'm the face that's on it. Like I've been in the league for 16 years or something. So now you definitely feel the burden of the 16 years rather than just the 5 that I've been here. But man, you walk around and you talk to any Kings fan, First thing they gonna bring up is '01-'02. So I'm just trying to be able to get back to that so that now you bringing up, you know, '22-'23 or whatever it may be rather than we talking about something that happened 20 years ago. Like every, if the Kings fan is over 30 years old, they gonna bring up that Lakers series or that year 9 times outta 10.

Mm-hmm.

So like, I'm not saying I'm getting tired of hearing it, but I'm getting tired of hearing it.

So you gonna change that?

Yeah, yeah, that's the goal. That's the goal since I've been here. Like I told people, even with the draft, like I kind of knew where I was going. So Philly had just traded for the first pick after I worked out for them. So they wanted Markelle, Boston, I mean LA, the Lonzo thing, the whole connection, knew he was going there. Knew Boston was gonna take JT. And then next was Phoenix. And Phoenix at the time had just gave, they just gave Brandon Knight like $80 million.

Uh-huh.

Eric Bledsoe was on a crazy deal. So I'm like, I was supposed to have a workout for him. I'm like, shit, should I work out for them? Like y'all got 150 Ms going to 2 point guards. I'm like, I don't wanna do that. So I canceled my workout, fly back to Houston for a little bit, take a little break. 'Cause I was in LA working out and stuff. And then I had, and Sacramento was number 5. So I'm like, that's where I'm going. Like, that's where I wanna go. I know about the history that at the time it had been 11 years. I'm like, I can go there and change something. So like, I knew that's where my destiny lied.

And so you canceled your workout in Phoenix because they had 2 point guards. So I have a question, just a follow-up on that. And looking back on that and knowing how it played out with Brandon Knight in Phoenix, how it played out with Eric Blesso in Phoenix, do you ever look back on that with any regret and say, you know, had I went through with the workout, I probably still could have been the point guard of the future there with a backcourt mate like Devin Booker. Do you ever look back at that or do you kind of just keep it?

I for sure look back at it and like, I probably could have worked 'cause that's the year that Bled had tweeted, "Yo, I don't wanna be here no more." So they traded both of them my rookie year, traded both of them. And even that year I didn't think about it, but like 3, 4 years later, I'm like, that actually, me and Book would have been a nice backcourt. So I've definitely thought about it before, 1000%.

That's absolutely amazing. And just circling back, we were speaking on the draft. You guys drafted Keegan Murray, who has been impressive. What has been your thoughts of the young fella outta Iowa? And what do you think his potential is?

Man, he's, it's crazy how good he is. But he also has that like Tim Duncan demeanor. Like every day I see him like, yo, what's up, Rook? Like, what's up, Fox? I'm like, come on, dawg. You gotta like, you gotta gimme something. You just gimme something. But like he doesn't, he comes in, man, he's the most efficient guy I've ever been around. Like you look over, if he's just shooting, he's not missing. Then you, we played pickup a little bit before training camp. He doesn't miss. He doesn't have any wasted motion. Like everything he does is just efficient, defensively, offensively, grabbing rebounds, boxing out. He kind of really just makes the game look easy. And if he had some facial hair, I would've thought the bro was like in his 30s.

Mm-hmm.

But he 21, 22, I think he just turned 22. And he walks around and like the demeanor is just always calm and this, he's gonna be really good. Like he's gonna show the world what he can do.

That's incredible to hear. And I think for our listeners out there, I think one thing that you should take away from that and really understand is if he had facial hair, I think he was 30 years old because that's saying a lot. And you know, one reason, and you know this well, Fox, one reason guys come in the league and struggle is not necessarily from the offensive end. Most guys can't pick up the defensive end. They can't pick up the rotations. They can't pick up, you know, when a guy should be asking out or, you know, when you're bottom low man or the communication and getting a pick and switch and pick and roll coverages based on who the people are in the— Yeah. You know, in the pick and roll action.

Especially when everything is just like, somebody might not be fast in terms of like speed, getting up and down the court, but in that half court, everything moving like that. And I think that's for sure where people come in this league and start to struggle.

Absolutely. So that's really saying a lot, you know, and that's, you know, I got high expectations for the young fella, obviously being a Big Ten guy. Watch him against my Spartans quite a bit over the last couple years. So I got high expectations for him and the way he's shooting the ball with the way the league has turned to guys stepping out and shooting it. Y'all running pin downs for him, different stuff like that. Like for most 4-mans to have to chase a pin down.

Yeah. It's not territory that you used to being in.

Absolutely. And so I think that's, you know, that's gonna be really cool to see that develop and I'm looking forward to that.

Yeah.

When you look at your game, you know, as a basketball fan, like who do you model your game after?

You know, coming in, I remember in high school, everybody used to tell me Nick Van Exel, right? So I'm like, I'm young at this time. I'm like, yo, I don't know who Nick the Quick. So I started looking up highlights and I'm like, you know what? I do kind of move like him when I'm coming up. And so I kind of started watching more film on him, little film on like John when he was younger, like how he got to the basket, how he was playmaking. And then a lot of like young CP and Tony Parker. I started watching a lot of those guys. That's great.

Okay.

Like Chris Paul in New Orleans to me, like, so I'm from New Orleans. So I was, I watched him growing up a little bit. Going back and watching, obviously from the way he plays now and the way that he was playing in New Orleans, it's like night and day. It was, I still, even before games, I still watch a lot of film on a young CP.

Wow, that's impressive. That's impressive.

Yeah, in New Orleans, man, with those series that he had and with San Antonio and stuff like that. Yeah, he was, dude was amazing. He was actually amazing.

Absolutely. I spoke about you being the 5th pick in the 2017 draft. And I wanted to ask you a question. I know Lonzo, like you said, Lonzo was drafted before you. Obviously JT was drafted before you. Markelle Fultz. And then Draymond Green. Okay. So here's my question. I know when I look back on my career, early on my career, I think about the young guys and you actually just mentioned one that I'm about to speak on. I think Brandon Knight was a year before me in the NBA draft. He, I'm certain he was actually. Kyrie Irving would destroy Brandon Knight every time they played. And I had a relationship with Kyrie. Kyrie was still like, didn't like Brandon Knight because everybody thought, that they were better than him in high school. So every time he played Brandon Knight in the NBA, he destroyed him. Like if you think back to the rookie sophomore—

The rookie rising star.

You remember Kyrie made him fall.

Yeah.

Okay, so that's going all the way back to high school. And what I wanted to ask you is, do you feel a personal rivalry with those guys that were drafted before you, especially the guards? Do you feel— Lonzo, Markelle Fultz, not necessarily Josh Jackson, not necessarily JT as they are wings, but against those guards that were drafted before you, where you like, I probably should have been a number 1 pick. I'm a point guard. If y'all were looking for a point guard, it's me. Do you feel that rivalry still when you play those guys or not really?

Not really. I think the only person that like it would've been a rivalry per se would've been Zo. And that's only because We played each other twice in college. Like I never got to play, I never played JT, I never played Markelle. And then obviously when we were coming out, you know, Zo's pops was, you know, he was loud at the time.

Yeah.

Like obviously he's calmed down, but he got 3 sons in the league now. But like he was loud at the time. So everybody was turning it into something that it wasn't. Like me and Zo was cool 'cause we had been to camps together. We had been to the draft. Like we did a lot of stuff together. Obviously when we step on the court, like it ain't no brother shit. Like it's all competing. But off the court, you know, it was never like that. But that would've been the only guy. And then we were in the same division. Like we both got drafted to—

Yeah.

So we was playing each other a couple times a year. So that would've been the only one that would've been. But even then it kind of never really, to me, it was never really a rivalry. But to some people, you know, they try to, you know, Kentucky, UCLA, Kings, Lakers. It was supposed to be something like that, but it never really was. And then Kel was hurt for a while. So I never, I probably only played Kel probably 2 or 3 times in my career right now.

Wow. So were you and Lonzo never really a rivalry because you just felt like, nah, like I'm better and it's not a rivalry or?

Wasn't too strong. I mean, I think we had such different games that it was never really a like go at somebody. It's like me, like whoever it is, it's on me, I'm trying to get 40. And if you got help, I'mma kick it. But Zo is, I'mma get my guys off first. And then, you know.

Absolutely.

My offense comes as it comes. So I never really like, we never had like the same mentality. So it was never kind of a thing like that.

I know you got married this summer. Congratulations, number one.

Hey, I see that ring on yours too. Mine's not on right now. I had to get it fixed.

I can dig that. I'm still getting used to wearing this ring all the time, man. It takes some getting used to for sure.

Yeah.

But congratulations on that, number one. Number two, just like, how do you feel? Like, I think that's a huge step in life and you and your wife has taken that step. Just how do you feel? Like, what feelings did that bring over?

Over you? It was great. Well, one, like, y'all actually— because Resee worked for y'all for a year. But it was probably the best day of my life. You see, I can't stop smiling. It was, man, it was great. Like, we've been together for a while. And I mean, she was like— she was a wife to me. She's always making sure I'm good before anything else. She played basketball. She played basketball at a high level too. So it's like I got another coach in my ear. But when I come home after a bad game or something, she, she not gonna say nothing because she's been through it. She's a coach's kid. But it's, it's great, man. Like, I feel like there, there's not many better things than getting married, especially getting married to the person that you feel like you're gonna be with forever.

So The look on your face says everything, brother. It says everything. And that's amazing to see. I love, you know, just to see people find their person. You know, you go through this life and it's, you know, it's, you know, for every good that it gives, there's some negatives as well. You know, I think people always think like, oh, it's just positive this, positive that. But to have someone to like go through everything with, I think that's absolutely incredible. And I've heard, and you just said it, you know, your wife hoop. I've heard about like, you know, she go to your workouts with you. She'll get on the court with you. Like, how is that sharing and knowing that like y'all both have an equal passion for the game of basketball?

Yeah, yeah. Until everything like is official, like during the season, like she's here. I'm like, if we got an optional workout or something, like she's coming. For one, it's the summertime and this is the most time we get to really spend together. So we do everything together, workout. She's in the gym getting shots up. Hell, she'll be like, "Yo, let's go to the gym on Sunday night. Let's get 100 makes," or whatever it is. So just having her there, like, I've gotten better as a, not only a man, but as a basketball player since we've met, since we've been together. So it's—

That's dope.

I said, it's like having another coach with me. Like all the time.

That's incredible, man. I'm happy to hear that. Just looking forward to this season. What are some of your goals moving forward? Like what do you think is next for you in your career? The next thing that you need to prove moving forward other than obviously, you know, making the playoffs.

Man, for me personally, it stems to shooting the ball. Like whenever I've shot the ball well, the team has done better 'cause now you might have to take an extra step up. And an extra step up guarding me is probably, it's a wrap. So just being able to shoot the ball, I think unlocks so much for this team. We'll have shooters everywhere around Domas. Like it'll, I think it turns us into an entirely different team. If I'm shooting the ball, if I'm shooting the ball the way I wanna shoot the ball. And for me, like it's a lot of film. Like I've shot the ball well in practice. Now it's like, do that shit in the game. And like, it's, I don't wanna say it's a mental thing for me, but like, I shoot the hell outta the ball in practice, shoot the hell outta the ball in workouts, all of our live play. Now it's just getting to that level of consistency in the game. And like, consistency is the biggest word for any professional athlete, really.

If anybody understand that, brother, it's me. I think, you know, I've had it in my career where I shot the lights outta the ball, And then really once KD came here, it was kind of like, yo, I need to get these guys involved. And I stopped looking to shoot. And then once I stopped looking to shoot, the rhythm of it was messed up. Then you start to lose confidence in it. And getting that confidence in that shot in the game is a totally different thing. I always tell guys like, no, you come in the gym with me, you come in this Warriors gym, there's two guys who gonna outshoot me. That's Steph and Klay. Ain't nobody else outshooting me. Right. Making that translate to the game is a different thing. You know what I'm saying? So I 100% understand that.

You know, and then from that standpoint too, like to be a winner for me, like the way I've looked at it over the years is your point guard has to be able to shoot the ball. I'm like, what's the last team that's won a championship and the point guard wasn't a really good shooter? Like you probably going back to like what, 2013, whenever the Spurs, whenever the Spurs won, was it '13, '14? One of those years. When the Spurs won, it was TP. '14.

'14.

Like, that's the last time. 'Cause then it was Steph, Kyrie, Drew can shoot the ball. Like, all these guys, all you to win at a high level as a point guard, you have to be able to shoot the ball. And that's why for me, like, that's the biggest, most important thing.

And I think even when you look at Tony Parker, the game was so different then where 3-point wasn't really a prevalent shot or wasn't really a shot that people were hunting. And Tony Parker mid-range was deadly.

Fire, the mid-range.

That was a big shot then.

Yeah.

Absolutely.

And obviously like, you know, in the playoffs you have to be able to get to a mid-range shot because teams are gonna start taking away your first, second, third option. So you have to be—

Yes, they are.

Which I think I can, I'm a good mid-range shooter. I can get to the basket at the blink of an eye. So now that next step is being able to extend my range. And it's not like I have to shoot 40%. It's really just, being 35, 30, like just being respectable from 3. And I think that opens up the world for us.

It definitely will. 'Cause nobody can stay in front of you, you know? And with your speed and just being willing to knock that shot down, like, "Oh, I know he's willing to take that and he can knock it down." It's gonna change the game for you. It's gonna open the floor for your teammates. And I look forward to seeing you do that. I'm rooting for you, brother, always. Ever need something from me, got a question for me, I'm here and I'm really rooting for y'all 'cause Mike Brown is my guy. [LAUGHTER] And I wanna see Mike do well. I know you and Luke has built a great relationship. Luke was here with us, so you got some good guys on your side, brother. And I hope, you know, that it can turn for y'all. I think it will. This is a big year for you. And I'm looking forward to seeing you take that next step. You should 100% be an All-Star. "If you not an all-star, that shit is on you. That ain't on nobody else. With your talent, with your skill, if you not an all-star this year, that ain't on nobody else but you, 'cause you are that damn good." Yeah, I appreciate it.

And that's respect, man. Everybody like, I'm like, yo, I love Dray, 'cause one, he gonna spit the real, but like, it's always gonna be respect at the end of the day. And we all know like, this is a brotherhood, guys gonna get into it. But once we step off the court, you know, that shit is done. That shit is done and we are brothers. So I really appreciate that.

Absolutely, bro. I'll see you soon, man. As you know, we play 4 times a year. I'm looking forward to seeing you, but I appreciate you coming on, man.

Yes, sir. Thank you for having me, Doc.

All right, peace.