Having constructed the roster that snapped a record-setting 16-year playoff drought, Kings general manager Monte McNair has been named the NBA’s Executive of the Year for the 2022/23 season, the league announced today.
McNair, who controversially sent ascendant guard Tyrese Haliburton to Indiana in a blockbuster deal for Domantas Sabonis at last season’s trade deadline, supplemented the star duo of Sabonis and De’Aaron Fox this past offseason by drafting Keegan Murray, signing Malik Monk, and trading for Kevin Huerter.
Perhaps most importantly, McNair hired Mike Brown as the Kings’ new head coach after parting ways with Alvin Gentry. Brown won Coach of the Year honors after leading Sacramento to a 48-34 record and its first postseason berth since 2006.
Unlike most of the NBA’s other major postseason awards, the Executive of the Year is voted on by the league’s 30 general managers instead of 100 media members.
McNair received 16 first-place votes and showed up on 24 ballots, earning 98 total points. He beat out runner-up Koby Altman of the Cavaliers, who got seven first-place votes and was included on 21 ballots, finishing with 63 total points.
No other executive received more than two first-place votes or 20 total points. Jazz GM Justin Zanik, Nuggets GM Calvin Booth, and Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens rounded out the top five vote-getters, while sixth-place finisher Bucks general manager Jon Horst joined Stevens as the other executives who received two first-place votes. Nine additional execs received at least one vote.
Well earned! No trades at the deadline was a bold but appears to be the right move and are in good shape to find upgrades on the roster this offseason to take the Kings to the next level. Well done!
Finally an award that was accurate
BS, the Lakers deserved it more for saving their season at the deadline.
Beam team has the brightest future in the west. I love how much that annoys people
I wouldn’t say the Kings future is any brighter than the Grizz, both teams got put out in the 1st round.
The Grizz have 3 young stars in Morant, Jackson and Bane and all are under 25. They have all their 1st round picks so they have assets to make trades to get better.
I’m not saying the Kings are in bad shape but their stars are a little older. They do have most of their picks and some young players to package up to improve the roster though.
They’re both going to be good teams for the next 5-7 years.
Why would that annoy people? You sound like the dude in Atlanta who makes a comment and is happy that everyone is upset yet he’s inaccurate because no one’s upset lol.
I love to see the Kings do well, love to see De’Aaron Fox rise to stardom. Good for the league and good for basketball fans. And I’m sorry THAT probably annoys YOU LOL
Yeah, idk anyone who wasn’t happy to watch the Kings succeed this year or in the future. Lot of likeable players on the roster on top of a Cinderella story. Bizarre comment lol
I mean. There was that one commenter yesterday who was screaming about how Steve Kerr is a terrible coach, the Kings aren’t worth respecting, and other nonsense. Other than that, though, nobody said anything.
Yeah, we ignore him
I’m still right and you all dont know ball yet because youre only 12. Its fine, it will come when you watch enough games and dont live on twitter.
Projecting…
Celebrating losing huh? Could never be me.
De’Aaron Fox = Jordan Poole.
Stop acting like one is a MVP and the other is a scrub, its the same guy on a different team.
Koby Altman didn’t really deserve any consideration. The team was trending upwards without Mitchell, and he refused to make any trades at the deadline that might have prevented or at least mitigated the disaster that was the first round.
But he hasn’t won a championship! How can he possibly even be nominated for this non-postseason award..???
– that dude who complains about all regular season award winners who haven’t won a title (and by win a title I mean be affiliated with the GSDubs)
Yeah thats me. And yeah, I’m right again. Stop rewarding losers. Kings cant beat Curry, therefore they shouldnt be rewarded with anything. Even the Lakers FO deserved this more because their moves saved their season, while getting choker Sabonis killed the Kings future.
See you’re coping well with the loss
McNair deserved the award, if only for having the guts to make an actual basketball trade (acquiring Sabonis) in the modern era. Seemed unnatural to today’s NBA fans that any team would trade an ascending young star on a RSC unless compelled to do so (no compulsion here, no contract issue, he was playing well, he hadn’t demanded a trade, etc.). The real and present danger of being deemed by 2k nation as “losing” such a trade would seem to preclude it.
The Lakers making their trades made them a better team than the Kings acquiring Sabonis did. Sabonis is the biggest choker in the league.
Good point. Or at least its closer to good than Poole is to Fox as a player.
Poole and Fox are indeed quite different.
Most overrated single season in history. Are the Kings going to follow in the footsteps of the Suns and Grizzlies and act like they are some force and “the team to beat in the west”, when none of them can beat Steph Curry??? Gross. Kings are trash and won’t even be a play-in team next year if they don’t somehow acquire a true superstar. De’aaron Fox is identical a player to Jordan Poole. Sabonis is outright trash and a massive choker. Stop rewarding failures, grow up.
Agreed for now, but let’s see what they do this offseason.
God help us.
So the Jazz pulled off not one, but two of the biggest trades in NBA history, a bunch more trades and free agent signings that kept then competitive all year, despite the youth and first year coach, offense, defense, etc.
And yet they lose to a guy that did a smaller trade, signed a guy and a new coach. The only reason he won is because they made the playoffs for the first time in years. Plus, it seems they’re piggybacking off of last year’s trades. Kinda dumb.
Oh well, at least the Jazz have the most first round picks in the next 6 years. Should be fun!
Congrats to the Kings! =)
I hear you but that third seed in the west is quite an accomplishment.
It is, but it reminds me of when a producer accepts the award for best picture when he was only part of the equation. The Kings moves set them up for a few years. The Jazz’s moves set them up for almost a decade. Most of the payoff won’t be known for years. That’s too much to ask today’s media. =)
Keep in mind, I truly am happy for the Kings. They ended what was the longest playoff drought in the league. Their fans are great. The league needs that energy to keep NBA excitement going. Although, Wemby should take care of that going forward. Hopefully, he’ll stay healthy.