The Sacramento Kings are moving on from head coach Mike Brown, amid a five-game losing streak.
Brown’s firing comes just minutes after the head coach was spotted talking to Kings star guard De’Aaron Fox as Sacramento practiced for its in-state rivalry game against the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday. Additionally, Brown’s dismissal comes hours after the Kings lost in heartbreaking fashion against the Detroit Pistons, after giving up a game-winning four-point play to Jaden Ivey.
Sacramento also has lost 12 of its last 17 games with the former NBA Coach of the Year seemingly looking for answers every night. The Kings also have lost 13 clutch-time games, a league-high, and currently are 12th in the Western Conference, three games behind the Golden State Warriors for the final play-in spot, though it is relatively early in the season.
The news comes just moments after cameras spotted the 54-year-old speaking with Fox during shoot around in the Kings’ practice facility. Though it is unclear what the two were discussing, Fox and Brown spoke for more than a minute, with the head coach and another member of the Kings coaching staff tapping the star guard’s back and chest.
Brown’s dismissal comes at an inopportune time for the Kings, as he, along with general manager Monte McNair, helped instill a new culture in Sacramento, snapping its 17-year playoff drought, a U.S. sports record. What’s more, Brown recently signed a three-year contract extension through 2027 in June.
However, considering the Kings’ lofty expectations, especially with the addition of All-Star talent DeMar DeRozan, McNair seemingly had waited long enough for Brown to turn things around. Of note, the Kings’ five-game winning streak is their first since January 2022, though what compounded Brown’s firing was this most recent skid happened at home.
Along with the Kings’ struggles, Fox’s availability also has been a hot topic around the NBA in recent weeks. Though the star guard has not asked to be moved amid Sacramento’s stumble, many teams in the league have been eyeing Fox, gearing up for a potential trade if he requests it.
The San Antonio Spurs, Houston Rockets, Miami Heat and Lakers all have expressed interest in the star guard, if he pushes for an exit. ESPN’s Tim MacMahon also explained which teams are most likely the ones to push for a trade for Fox, if McNair elects to see what he could get in return for the star.
“If Fox asks out, teams like San Antonio and Houston are the ones to watch,” he said on ‘The Hoop Collective’ podcast [h/t basketnews]. “I’ve also heard rumors about the Lakers, but it’s hard to tell how much of that is just speculation because he’s a Klutch client. There’s also been talks about Miami, given his connection to Bam Adebayo.”
With how the Kings are performing and the noise surrounding the team, Brown accepted that any and all criticism for how the season has panned out should be on his shoulders. “That’s why I get paid the money that I get paid,” Brown told reporters shortly before he was fired, per Matt George.
“But at the end of the day, you also know when you go through adverse times, you know who’s truly there for you. Because people will jump off the bandwagon quick. And the support, wherever it may come from, may not always be there. But that’s part of what I have to deal with, not just for myself, but holding everybody together.
“And that’s what I’m going to do. And I’m OK with anybody criticizing me because, again, I get paid to handle that. I get paid to get us through this. But whether it’s anybody that’s close, staff, players, friends, family, you’ll be able to tell who jumped off a little bit when we had some trying times.
“And you just always remember that as you go forward, because you know who’s truly in the foxhole with you and who’s not. But at the lead, I’m going to handle all the smoke, no matter where that smoke comes from, because that’s what I’m paid to do.”
Doug Christie is expected to be the Kings’ interim coach, after having been on the coaching staff since the 2021-22 season.
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