Sacramento Kings

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.

Mike Brown and De’Aaron Fox having a conversation after practice today. pic.twitter.com/fXCh4PjH5G

— James Ham (@James_HamNBA) December 27, 2024

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.

Mike Browns full press conference, calling out his players, with some direct and indirect references to De'Aaron Fox, for not executing what they know to do and what the coaches are telling them. pic.twitter.com/aOHsOUgw96

— Matt George (@MattGeorgeSAC) December 27, 2024

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.

The Sacramento Kings' decision to fire head coach Mike Brown has Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra reflecting on the state of the coaching market.

Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel relayed Spoelstra's thoughts about Brown's firing, with the Heat boss saying it reflects the "sad state of our profession" and that he feels like he has to comment on firings "far too often."

Erik Spoelstra's pregame thoughts here today in Atlanta on Friday's firing of Kings coach Mike Brown: pic.twitter.com/GtFda61oDU

— Ira Winderman (@IraHeatBeat) December 28, 2024

Spoelstra has been the Heat coach since 2008-09 and has compiled a 765-540 overall record while leading the team to two NBA championships and six appearances in the NBA Finals. He has overseen different core groups and has kept Miami relevant in the Eastern Conference throughout his tenure.

In the time that Spoelstra has been Miami's head coach, Sacramento has only reached the postseason once. That came in 2022-23 when Brown was in his first season with the franchise.

Spoelstra is the second longest-tenured head coach in the NBA. Twenty-five of the league's 30 coaches have been with their respective franchises for less than five seasons. The leash for coaches in the league has been very short and Brown's firing despite some success just a few seasons ago shows how quickly a coach can become disposable in the eyes of a front office.

Less than two seasons removed from his Coach of the Year-winning season, the Sacramento Kings fired Mike Brown.

Brown, who snapped the longest playoff drought in NBA history in 2022-23 when he took the Kings to the postseason, spent less than three years at the helm. Sacramento signed Brown to a multi-year contract this offseason.

The move was shocking to some given Brown's past success. Denver Nuggets head coach Michael Malone, who the Kings fired in 2014, said owner Vivek Ranadive has "no class" following the decision, per ESPN.

The Kings found success for the first time in nearly two decades under Brown's leadership, but that success led to higher expectations. After their playoff appearance during the 2022-23 season, they failed to make the postseason in a stronger Western Conference.

The offense that led the league two seasons ago was 13th last year, something that Ranadive "obsessed over" according to The Athletic's Anthony Slater and Sam Amick.

But Brown's firing reportedly stems from more than just the team's 13-18 start to the season. Per Slater and Amick, it was a combination of the team's struggles plus Brown's tension with one of the team's stars.

According to Slater and Amick, "there was no specific purpose or malice intended with the timing or execution" of the firing, but rather the decision "comes attached to several necessary conversations and boxes to check."

The boiling point for the Kings came on Friday when Sacramento faced the Detroit Pistons. Late-game mistakes, a theme for Brown's Kings, cost Sacramento a win, extending its losing streak to five games.

Per Slater and Amick, one team source said that players and staff exiting the building were "on fire" after the loss.

Another cause of Brown's firing, according to Slater and Amick, was his "stern" demeanor in news conferences that "were beginning to wear on some players." His final postgame press conference saw Brown make comments directed towards star guard De'Aaron Fox, who "appeared to be increasingly thinking about a future elsewhere" the same week Brown called him out.

Brown and Fox appeared to be having a lengthy conversation at practice on Friday, ultimately the last conversation between the two as coach and player. Brown was fired less than two hours after the discussion.

Mike Brown and De’Aaron Fox having a conversation after practice today. pic.twitter.com/fXCh4PjH5G

— James Ham (@James_HamNBA) December 27, 2024

The Kings will now turn to Doug Christie for the rest of the season. Sacramento named him interim head coach, giving him his first chance to lead a team.

The Kings have star power with Fox alongside Domantas Sabonis and DeMar DeRozan, but it's fair to say at this point that a championship seems well out of reach this year. Instead, Sacramento will likely focus on keeping Fox and other stars around as the Kings look to find their sixth coach in the last 10 years.

Denver Nuggets head coach Michael Malone called out the Sacramento Kings' decision to fire head coach Mike Brown on Friday.

"They have practice this morning, he does his post-(practice) media, and he's in his car going to the airport to fly to L.A," Malone said, via Bennett Durando of The Denver Post. "And they call him on the phone. No class. No balls. That's what I'll say about that."

Here is Michael Malone's full comment on the Sacramento Kings' firing of Mike Brown.

Malone said he was shocked at first, then realized he shouldn't be, "because who he works for. So I'm not surprised that Mike Brown got fired, because I got fired by the same person." pic.twitter.com/DtE5Sf9QLl

— Bennett Durando (@BennettDurando) December 28, 2024

Brown was fired earlier on Friday amid the Kings' current five-game losing streak, per ESPN's Shams Charania. He was replaced by assistant coach Doug Christie in an interim role.

Malone has some familiarity with Brown's situation, as he served as Sacramento's head coach during the 2013-14 season before he was fired during the team's 2014-15 campaign.

"So I'm not surprised that Mike Brown got fired, because I got fired by the same person," Malone said on Friday, per Durando.

Matt George of ABC 10 reported that Brown was let go just before the team was set to board a flight to Los Angeles. He ran a full practice and spent roughly 15 minutes talking to the media before he was fired.

The Sacramento Kings just fired Mike Brown right before the team boarded a flight to LA. He just ran a full practice and spent 15 minutes talking to the media.

Just bad man. Bad bad bad.

— Matt George (@MattGeorgeSAC) December 27, 2024

Brown finished with a record of 107-88 in Sacramento.

He oversaw the Kings' 2022-23 season that culminated in the team's first playoff appearance in 16 years, subsequently earning unanimous 2023 Coach of the Year honors. Sacramento narrowly missed the playoffs the following year, but still managed to finish with a 46-36 record.

The Kings struggled to open Brown's third season with the organization, owning the No. 12 seed in the Western Conference standings at 13-18. Still, it was surprising to see Sacramento part ways with a coach that experienced two straight successful years to begin his tenure with the team.

Malone has excelled since leaving the Kings, taking over as the Nuggets' head coach prior to the 2015-16 season. He owns a 747-440 record in Denver, helping the organization claim its first championship in 2023.

Sacramento Kings head coach Mike Brown called out his players for not fouling the Detroit Pistons, up three, which allowed Detroit's Jaden Ivey to not only hit a tying three-pointer but also get fouled in the act, hitting a free throw to seal the four-point play and ultimately earn a 114-113 win.

He referenced star point guard De'Aaron Fox more than once in his postgame comments:

Mike Browns full press conference, calling out his players, with some direct and indirect references to De'Aaron Fox, for not executing what they know to do and what the coaches are telling them. pic.twitter.com/aOHsOUgw96

— Matt George (@MattGeorgeSAC) December 27, 2024

Less than 24 hours later, the Kings fired Brown, per Shams Charania of ESPN.

And that had pundits and fans on social media debating whether Brown's firing is something that Fox might have requested, which will entice him to stick around Sacramento—amid comments this year suggesting he's not thrilled with the direction of the franchise—or whether the dysfunction around the team, including Friday's firing, will lead to him seeking a departure:

Can’t/shouldn’t trade Fox without pulling every other possible lever https://t.co/fE9AH4Pxid

— Dan Wolken (@DanWolken) December 27, 2024

Mike Brown’s firing is notable as it relates to De’Aaron Fox being with the Kings long-term.

Recently, it became clear Sacramento’s head coach and star player weren’t meshing well together.

This is seemingly a decision to appease Fox amidst pressure from his agent, Rich Paul. pic.twitter.com/eJ18AqIAfi

— Evan Sidery (@esidery) December 27, 2024

Damn, Mike Brown

But anyone who saw that press conference last night knew that he was finished…..

— Tony Jones (@Tjonesonthenba) December 27, 2024

I love Coach Brown.

Bringing his own printer to print off his own box scores in the green room while working on NBA Tonight remains one of my favorite ESPN stories.

But before you contemplate trading De’Aaron Fox, you have to turn over every stone.

— Micah Adams (@MAdamsStatGuy) December 27, 2024

I don’t get the Mike Brown firing outrage.

He’s a good coach!

But something is off. And better to to this now with a buffer before the trade deadline to shake things up ahead of a potential De’Aaron Fox move.

Tough business but it’s a logical decision.

— Micah Adams (@MAdamsStatGuy) December 27, 2024

Honestly, is this is a sign that they’re choosing Fox over Mike brown? I think they’re keeping Fox imo https://t.co/zCEouNNGCw

— JP (@mbamjv) December 27, 2024

De'Aaron Fox fired Mike Brown

— ᭙🇲🇦 (@ChefKLM) December 27, 2024

You can't fire Mike Brown AND lose/trade away Fox. I would assume he's not going anywhere now

— ... (@H_KWade) December 27, 2024

https://twitter.com/IceyIrving/status/1872765305698812096

Mike Brown got fired, again. Fox is gone man

— Good Dude (@Dxrrick) December 27, 2024

Really dont understand them firing Brown. Fox is gonna get traded and the Kings are gonna go back to being a poverty franchise again https://t.co/6u1tFytpfK

— Phenom (@kd_phenom92) December 27, 2024

The Kings are entering an incredibly important period with Fox. He's under contract for the remainder of this season and next season, but after that could hit free agency. He's already turned down an extension offer, though that was logical, as signing an extension next offseason would allow him to sign a bigger deal.

If Fox doesn't sign an extension before the 2025-26 season, however, the Kings have basically two decisions: Trade him, or allow him to hit free agency and hope he doesn't sign elsewhere, leaving the Kings with zero assets in return for his departure.

More than likely, they would take the first option. At this point for the Kings, finding a way to keep Fox engaged in the team's future is priority No. 1. If he and Brown were no longer seeing eye-to-eye, Friday's decision is easy enough to understand.

It certainly didn't help Brown's cause that Sacramento is just 13-18 on the season and currently 12th in the Eastern Conference after failing to advance past the Play-In Tournament last season. If the Kings can't rectify that either, Fox is as good as gone. Firing Brown appeared to be a last-ditch effort to keep the star point guard happy in Sacramento.

The Sacramento Kings are making a coaching change.

Shams Charania of ESPN reported that the Kings are "parting ways" with head coach Mike Brown following two and a half seasons with the franchise.

Just In: The Sacramento Kings are parting ways with head coach Mike Brown, sources told ESPN. pic.twitter.com/mNdn5EOv4U

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) December 27, 2024

Brown finishes his time in Sacramento with a 107-88 overall record. The Kings are currently 13-18 in 2024-25. Charania reported that Doug Christie has been named the team's interim head coach.

Doug Christie is expected to be the Sacramento Kings’ interim head coach, sources tell ESPN. Christie has been an assistant with the Kings since 2021-22 and played in Sacramento for five of his 15 NBA seasons. pic.twitter.com/FukvFNTHRN

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) December 27, 2024

It's safe to say the decision was a surprise to the team as Brown had just conducted a practice and spoke to the media. Matt George of ABC 10 reported that he was fired just before the team boarded a flight to Los Angeles.

The Sacramento Kings just fired Mike Brown right before the team boarded a flight to LA. He just ran a full practice and spent 15 minutes talking to the media.

Just bad man. Bad bad bad.

— Matt George (@MattGeorgeSAC) December 27, 2024

Mike Brown, less than an hour before being fired, after running a full practice, making the rounds and having conversation with his coaches & players, including a 1-on-1 with De'Aaron Fox. pic.twitter.com/si0En59zI8

— Matt George (@MattGeorgeSAC) December 27, 2024

Brown was in his fourth coaching stint and has an overall record of 454-304. He led Sacramento to its first playoff appearance since 2005-06 during the 2022-23 season. The Kings fell to the Golden State Warriors in game seven of a competitive first-round series.

The Kings have a promising core headlined by De'Aaron Fox, Domantas Sabonis and DeMar DeRozan. The slow start to the season has the team in 12th place in the Western Conference.

Several teams are reportedly emerging as potential contenders to acquire one-time All-Star guard De'Aaron Fox should the Sacramento Kings decide to trade him.

Speaking Friday on Brian Windhorst and the Hoop Collective (beginning at the 44:30 mark), ESPN's Tim MacMahon named the Houston Rockets, San Antonio Spurs, Los Angeles Lakers and Miami Heat as potential landing spots for Fox:

"If he does ask out, San Antonio and Houston—keep an eye on those two. I've heard Lakers, but it's hard for me to tell how much of that is just people jumping to conclusions because he's a Klutch client. And then I've heard Miami with the Bam [Adebayo] connection there."

Fox signed a five-year, $163 million contract extension with the Kings in 2020, but he is currently in line to become a free agent at the conclusion of the 2025-26 campaign.

Back in October, Fox told Sam Amick and Anthony Slater of The Athletic that he would "love to be here for my entire career" in reference to Sacramento, but he added some qualifiers.

Fox noted that before signing another extension, he wants to "make sure that we're in that position to be competing and competing at a high level for a long time, not just fighting for a playoff spot."

The Kings haven't necessarily inspired confidence with their performance so far this season, as their 13-18 record is only good for 12th place in the Western Conference.

Entering the 2024-25 season, the Kings had reached the playoffs only once in the past 18 seasons, so it is fair to wonder if Fox would be willing to commit to the franchise for several more years.

The 27-year-old star has been among the Kings' bright spots this season, averaging 26.2 points, 6.1 assists, 5.0 rebounds, 2.1 three-pointers made and 1.6 steals per game, while shooting 48.2 percent from the field and 33.2 percent from beyond the arc.

If Fox doesn't sign an extension by next offseason, the Kings may have no realistic choice other than to trade him so that they don't risk losing him for nothing in free agency.

The Rockets and Spurs are both up-and-coming teams who would benefit greatly from Fox's arrival.

Houston is already the No. 2 team in the Western Conference with a record of 21-9 thanks largely to the play of rising stars such as Alperen Şengün and Jalen Green.

The Rockets have a ton of draft capital thanks to some of the trades they made during their rebuild, giving them perhaps more ammo than anyone to make a move for Fox.

San Antonio is in a similar boat, and although it isn't as far along as Houston, it has shown significant signs of improvement this season with a 15-15 mark.

The Spurs already have a dominant interior force in second-year man Victor Wembanyama, which could make Fox the ideal complement.

The Lakers and Heat are on the other end of the spectrum in that they are veteran-laden teams looking to maintain their status as contenders.

Miami is just two seasons removed from reaching the NBA Finals, while L.A. made the Western Conference Finals that same year.

So far this season, the Heat are sixth in the Eastern Conference at 15-13, but they don't feel like legitimate contenders ahead of teams like the Boston Celtics, Cleveland Cavaliers and New York Knicks.

Similar things can be said for the Lakers, who are sixth in the Western Conference at 17-13.

In Miami, Fox could join forces with his friends and former University of Kentucky teammate in Bam Adebayo, although there are some question marks surrounding how the roster will look in the near future since veteran Jimmy Butler wants to be moved before the trade deadline, per ESPN's Shams Charania.

As for the Lakers, their core of LeBron James and Anthony Davis may not have much time left to vie for a championship with James set to turn 40 on Monday.

Fox would give them the third star they have been looking for, though, and perhaps give LeBron the best possible chance to win a fifth championship before retirement.

The Sacramento Kings could be making some significant roster changes before the Feb. 6 trade deadline.

The Portland Trail Blazers' Jerami Grant, Utah Jazz's John Collins and Washington Wizards' Jonas Valančiūnas and Kyle Kuzma are "back on [the Kings'] radar," according to a Saturday report from The Athletic's Sam Amick and Anthony Slater.

The Brooklyn Nets' Cam Johnson is also "known to be of significant interest" to the Kings, while Dorian Finney-Smith interests the team "to a lesser degree," according to Amick and Slater.

Star guard De'Aaron Fox said in a recent appearance on Draymond Green's podcast that he hasn't signed an extension with the Kings in part because he wants to be "in a position to win in the future." The Kings could be hoping loading up at the deadline will help convince Fox to re-sign in Sacramento.

The Kings' 113-100 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday dropped the team to 13-15.

If the regular season ended today, the Kings would be left on the outside of the playoff bubble as the No. 12 team in the West.

According to Amick and Slater, Fox's agent Rich Paul was present at the Kings' loss to the Lakers in order to speak with general manager Monte McNair and assistant general manager Wes Wilcox about their "plan" for the franchise.

Fox, who is playing in his eighth season with the franchise that drafted him with the No. 5 pick in 2017, has played 497 regular-season games with the Kings but just seven in the postseason. Those all occurred during the first round of the 2022-23 playoffs, which ended in a 20-point Game 7 loss to Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors.

According to Amick and Slater, Fox hasn't asked for a trade but is "reading the room in Sacramento before deciding what comes next" when his current contract expires following the 2025-26 season.

One way for the Kings to improve how the franchise looks in that evaluation could be to expand the team's depth.

Heading into Saturday, just 23 players in the NBA were averaging more than 35 minutes per night, and four of them play in Sacramento. To make matters worse, through 28 games the Kings' bench has averaged 20.6 points per night to mark the third-worst average in the NBA.

Kuzma's scoring has dipped as he's been held to 12 games this season while recovering from a rib injury, but the Kings could hope he could add some offensive firepower to their reserves when recovered after consecutive 20-point campaigns in Washington.

Collins and Grant could provide similar boosts to the team's bench scoring, although any deal for Grant would be complicated by his $32 million AAV contract. He is signed for at least two more seasons with a 2027-28 player option.

Valančiūnas, who has previously represented Lithuania in international competition alongside Domantas Sabonis, could help boost the Kings' offense with his rebounding. The Kings would, however, reportedly have to compete with the Lakers in order to acquire him from the Wizards.

The Kings are ranked 11th overall in net rating by the NBA, a sign that this team has room for improvement. McNair could hope some roster adjustments this winter will help the team achieve that potential while keeping Fox happy in Sacramento.

De'Aaron Fox's agent, Rich Paul, reportedly met with Sacramento Kings general manager Monte McNair and assistant general manager Wes Wilcox before Thursday's game against the Los Angeles Lakers to discuss Fox's "uncertain future" in Sacramento, per The Athletic's Sam Amick and Anthony Slater.

However, Fox has not requested a trade at this time, per that report, though "the former All-Star and his prominent agent are reading the room in Sacramento before deciding what comes next."

For Fox—who turned down a three-year, $165 million extension offer in October—the issue is that the Kings have consistently struggled to field a true contender.

"I want to make sure that we're in a position to try to win in the future, because that's ultimately what I want to do," he told Draymond Green and Baron Davis this week. "For me, it's, are we looking like we're continuing to get better year after year? And, are we going to be able to compete at a high level?"

The Kings are currently just 13-15 on the season, 12th in the Western Conference, and missed the playoffs last year after being eliminated in the Play-In Tournament. The young core of Fox, Domantas Sabonis and Keegan Murray is undoubtedly talented. Still, there are beginning to be questions about whether the current group's upside is capped, especially since the offseason acquisition of DeMar DeRozan hasn't led to more wins, at least to this point.

And if Fox does ultimately decide that the Kings can't provide the title ceiling he's seeking, Sacramento will have to consider trading him to avoid losing him for nothing in free agency after the 2025-26 season.

As Amick and Slater noted, "rival executives are monitoring the Fox situation closely and league sources say one team in particular—the San Antonio Spurs—is positioning itself to pursue the Houston native as a possible partner for Victor Wembanyama, should Fox become available. Barring a significant Kings turnaround, others are surely close behind."

So the Kings, barring a major turnaround, almost assuredly will need to make some changes around the roster ahead of February's trade deadline. If they can't turn this season around, Fox's future may ultimately rest elsewhere.