Stephen A. Smith believes the Kings can surprise many onlookers this upcoming 2024-25 NBA season.

Speaking on “The Stephen A. Smith Show” on Tuesday, the brash analyst revealed why a revamped Sacramento team – not the New Orleans Pelicans or the Houston Rockets – could make the biggest leap next season.

And, no, Smith didn’t bother mentioning the Kings’ addition of star guard DeMar DeRozan to back his claim, which instead was centered around an interesting Magic Johnson-De’Aaron Fox anecdote.

“You know who I think the potential sleeper is?” Smith asked. “The Sacramento Kings. This brother De’Aaron Fox.

“Now, I love my man Magic [Johnson], who we talked about earlier. The only basketball argument we ever got in was pushing him to draft De’Aaron Fox.

“He drafted Lonzo Ball. Because I saw what De’Aaron Fox did to Lonzo in the NCAA tournament.” 

If that were the case, Johnson and the Los Angeles Lakers surely missed out on a force in Fox. 

The Kings star point guard has been the epitome of a cornerstone player for Sacramento after being selected No. 5 overall in the 2017 NBA Draft. 

In 74 games played last season, Fox averaged 26.6 points per game, a career-high for the 2023 NBA All-Star, who has proven to be a much more productive NBA player than an injury-riddled Ball.

“And I knew what he was going to do on a pro level, and Lonzo Ball hasn’t been healthy,” Smith added.

“But even healthy, he ain’t had that type of game that Fox got on him.” 

Aside from Fox’s inarguable elite play, surely Smith was also factoring in the addition of DeRozan to a lineup boasting the likes of Domantas Sabonis, Keegan Murray and Malik Monk, who have made the Kings a playoff-contending team for the past two seasons.

“So, I’m of the mindset Sacramento,” Smith concluded. “I’m thinking along those lines. I could be wrong, but I’m thinking Sacramento.”

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