West Notes: Kings, De’Aaron Fox, Blazers, Mavs

Kings

Point guard De’Aaron Fox said the rising Kings don’t intend to be just a one-hit wonder.

“This is something that we, obviously, want to make annually. We want to be a team that’s contending for a title,” Fox said, via Hunter Patterson of The Athletic. “This feels good, but for us, making the playoffs isn’t our goal. Mike came in here, and he’s been a coach on championship teams, so he has our mindset on bigger things than just making the playoffs. It’s big for the city, it’s big for the organization because it’s been so long, but we still want bigger things for ourselves.”

Power forward Domantas Sabonis added that a regular-season full of fun sure beats the alternative.

“I don’t take being here for granted. I’ve been on teams where after All-Star break, every game is just, like, whatever, we’re going to get the season done,” Sabonis said, via Patterson. “If you’re lower in the standings — still in the playoffs but lower — it’s not as fun. Now teams are coming for us. It definitely has a different vibe around it; every game is more intense — I’d say closer to playoff games. As a competitor, that’s all you want every game.”

Trail Blazers

Forward Cam Reddish indicated his time riding the pine while with the Knicks had little to do with basketball.

“It was tough but at the same time, it ain’t even about basketball,” Reddish said, via Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News. “It had nothing to do with basketball. It was all the politics, all the favoritism. S–t like that. That’s why I wasn’t too worried about it.”

• The Blazers’ moves at the trade deadline haven’t done much to move the needle, wrote Matthew Legros of SB Nation.

Mavericks

Point guard Kyrie Irving missed Friday’s practice because of an “excused absence,” coach Jason Kidd said, via Grant Afseth of SI.com.

Irving was later listed as questionable because of right foot soreness, Afseth noted. Irving remained questionable for Saturday’s game at Memphis, though he did take part in shootaround.