The Sacramento Kings are closing in on a deal with Doug Christie to keep him as coach following an interim stint that ended with a loss in the Play-In Tournament.
A person familiar with the deal told The Associated Press on Tuesday that the Kings are finalizing a multiyear contract with Christie. The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the team hadn’t made an announcement.
ESPN first reported the decision.
Christie took over the Kings after Mike Brown was fired in late December and posted a 27-24 record in his interim stint. Sacramento made it into the Play-In Tournament as the ninth seed but lost its home game to Dallas.
General manager Monte McNair and the team “mutually parted ways” immediately following that game and Scott Perry was hired as his replacement.
Perry said he wanted to come to a quick resolution on the coaching decision, and he did that by keeping Christie in the role. The two will now try to get the Kings back to the postseason after losing in the Play-In Tournament the past two seasons.
The Kings have made the playoffs just once in the past 19 seasons, losing in the first round to Golden State in 2023 in Brown’s first season as coach.
Sacramento has the fifth-worst record in the NBA since Vivek Ranadive took over as owner in 2013. The team has had five lead executives and nine head coaches — including interims — in that span.
The Kings hope the new team of Perry and Christie brings needed stability to the franchise. The team has a core in place led by Domantas Sabonis, DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine, Keegan Murray and Malik Monk.
The team likely won’t have a first-round draft pick; the Kings have a 3.8% chance of moving into the top four in the lottery. Otherwise the pick will go Atlanta as part of a previous deal made for Kevin Huerter.
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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA
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