De'Aaron Fox doesn't feel like the Sacramento Kings' roster feels "guilt" following the firing of head coach Mike Brown, according to ESPN's Dave McMenamin.

"I wouldn't use the word 'guilt,'" Fox said on Saturday. "That's the nature of the job that we have. Obviously him signing his extension this summer, we thought we would be together a whole lot longer. But that's the decision that they made. But at the end of the day too, he's still getting paid. A great part of being an NBA player, being an NBA coach is those things can happen, but contracts are guaranteed."

Brown and the star point guard were seen having a discussion at the Kings' facility before the organization chose to part ways with him on Friday.

After Brown finished with a 94-70 record through his first two seasons with the team to go along with 2022-23 Coach of the Year honors, Sacramento handed him an extension that took him through the 2026-27 season and included a raise to $8.5 million per year in June.

The Kings are off to a slow start to open their 2024-25 campaign, sitting at 13-18.

Anthony Slater and Sam Amick of The Athletic reported that Brown's "stern news conferences" were starting to "wear on some players," noting that the coach's final post-game conference was directed at Fox's defensive effort near the end of a 114-113 loss to the Detroit Pistons on Thursday.

The Kings replaced Brown with Doug Christie, whose initial message to the team was relayed by star center Domantas Sabonis.

"To come out and stick together and fight," Sabonis said, per McMenamin. "Just be us, be who we are and turn this thing around."

Shooting guard Malik Monk also issued an apology to Sacramento's fans, promising that the team would be able to turn the season around.

"Sorry, fans," Monk said, via McMenamin. "We are going to turn it around."

Fox's agent, Rich Paul, reportedly met with Kings general manager Monte McNair and assistant general manager Wes Wilcox on Dec. 19 to discuss the All-Star's "uncertain future" with the team. The 27-year-old hasn't officially requested a trade, though.

The Kings will attempt to begin turning their season around on Saturday, as they travel to face the Los Angeles Lakers.

Tip-off is at 10:30 p.m. ET.