10:37pm: The Kings have put out a press release officially confirming that Brown has been let go and that Christie will be the team’s interim head coach.
“This was a difficult decision, and I want to thank Mike for his many contributions to the organization,” general manager Monte McNair said in a statement.
3:39pm: The Kings are firing head coach Mike Brown, sources tell ESPN’s Shams Charania (Twitter link). Sam Amick of The Athletic confirms the news (via Twitter).
Brown just signed a three-year contract extension in June. He will reportedly be owed $25.5MM through 2026/27.
In his first season with Sacramento in 2022/23, Brown guided the franchise to a 48-34 record and its first playoff berth since 2006, winning the NBA’s Coach of the Year award. Despite racking up 46 more regular season wins in ’23/24, he and the Kings finished outside the top eight in the conference and were eliminated in the second game of the play-in tournament.
The Kings have been in a tailspin of late, dropping their fifth straight game — all at home — after a fourth-quarter collapse on Thursday vs. Detroit, as Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee writes. Sacramento led by 15 points with under eight minutes remaining, but wound up losing after Jaden Ivey converted a four-point play when the Pistons were down three.
“To relax like that at that point in the game was tough,” Brown said. “I also don’t like the pace we had in the last six minutes. I kept telling our guys, ‘Push it, push it, push it, drive it, kick it,’ just like we did most of the game, and we come to a complete stop with about six minutes to go. Three minutes to go, we’re rolling the ball and walking it, going against a set defense every time. Somehow, someway, we have to pay attention to the little details.”
The Kings entered the season with playoff expectations, but are currently just 13-18, the No. 12 seed in the West — they’re three games behind the final play-in spot.
Overall, the 54-year-old compiled a 107-88 (.549) regular season record with Sacramento. The team lost its first-round playoff series to Golden State in 2023 in seven games.
As detailed by multiple local reporters (all Twitter links), Brown just ran a full practice and spoke to the media literally minutes before Charania broke the news.
It’s unclear who will serve as Sacramento’s interim head coach, but the team’s most experienced assistant (he’s technically an associate head coach) is Jay Triano. The 66-year-old had previous head coaching stints with Toronto and Phoenix.
[UPDATE: Doug Christie Will Be Kings’ Interim Head Coach]
Known for his defensive acumen, Brown was an assistant with Washington, San Antonio and Indiana before he got his first head coaching job with Cleveland in 2005. He also coached the Lakers and had a second one-year stint with the Cavs. Prior to being hired by Sacramento, he was the top assistant on Steve Kerr‘s staff with Golden State for six seasons.
Damn I guess they weren’t playing around.
And who out there is avail ?? Doug Christie ?? I think Christie would be a step backwards !!
Mike Brown gets fired. The head coach does not matter when your so-called “best” player, DeAaron Fox, is shooting 33% from behind the 3-point arc. Keegan Murray, who is supposed to be the Kings best “shooter”, is shooting 29% from 3-point range.
Mark Jackson could make sense here. The kings put a roster together this year they felt could win. Jackson can come in as a veteran coach with experience and try to turn it around and save the season
mark jackson has effectively blackballed himself from the league, not to mention when did he last coach 8-10 years ago?
Mark Jackson wouldn’t be a good choice. Too far removed and a head case in his own way.
Loving the Lord is truth.
Jackson only loves the sound of his own voice.
Amen
I don’t watch them enough to really tell. Watched a couple of their close gms. That Piston gm was a killer. They’ve had trouble closing out gms. With DeM DeR that should have changed. But it’s been their D at end of gms. Seems Brown has had his run. Kings better get this right. Kings should be better.
The Sac gig went exactly as Mike’s prior reputation predicted.
Mike does well in his first two years by demanding more, but he starts to wear on players. When times get tough, he doesn’t have the track record to survive the player complaints.
Idk, I thought Mike Brown learned and changed his ways. He stayed at GS for 5 yrs which isnt easy and he was excellent. He was outstanding the last 2 yrs, but maybe he just wouldnt budge with Kings FO and ownership. MBrown refused to be treated as some rookie coach. This is bogus move by Kings!
That’s as an AC, though. As a head coach, he’s had the same problem at each stop.
Guess the Kings are slightly serious about trying to right the ship, as they could’ve waited longer to do this. Of course, McNair is also on the hot seat so it makes sense that he didn’t want to wait to pull the trigger.
The bigger question is does he and/or ownership have enough stones to make some meaningful trades before the deadline? Blow it up or shake up an ill-fitting roster. Pick a lane and fast because Fox already has one foot out the door.
Shea, if Sac chooses to rebuild, doesn’t that guarantee that Fox is gone?
Yes, exactly. If that’s the path they choose, they need to move him now for max value. The worst thing they can do is do nothing, as that basically guarantees he’ll leave after next season anyway.
Another really dumb decision by a franchise that has made stupidity an art form. Clearly the GM is protecting his ass given his role in building the roster.
You arent wrong. Kings FO is the most perpetually-clueless one in the league. That Hailburton trade should have told us all we need to know.
You can argue with some of their moves, but I don’t think they regret that Halliburton trade. Sabonis has been good for them, and if this season is any indication, Halliburton is not the superstar some thought.
Sabonis plays bad defense is one of the reasons they are struggling.
arc89, can you be specific about what Sabonis is doing badly defensively? I’d say that he has a reputation as a good defender, and in the Sac games I’ve seen this year he’s been arguably their best defender.
Agreed. The problem is they’ve never surrounded him with players that make sense if he’s going to be one of your core guys. It seemed like they were starting to do that a few years back, but for whatever reason didn’t continue through with that vision and, instead, doubled down on bad roster construction bringing in DeMar. My gut says this is partly an ownership problem, as Vivek has been known for his meddling.
It also doesn’t help they’ve been a bit hit or miss in the draft. Murray has taken a step back, Mitchell was a bust, etc.
mattv, dont mind the hater. Guy hates success like its the plague.
Halliburton is rocks or diamonds.
The Haliburton trade HAD to happen because of Fox’s displeasure, not the GM’s. Vivek listens to Fox cause he thinks he’s the best player on the team, which he isn’t. Sabonis is by far more important to this roster than Fox, demar and Monk both have proven that. Fox is the complainer, Fox believes he’s batman when he’s actually Robin. They should have had enough sense to trade Fox (who wants a max contract that he doesn’t deserve), and let Brown develop their younger players (hello Keon…) into a balanced team.
Yeah OK….I love Sabonis. Great accumulator but he isn’t the man. When kings had that good season I’m pretty sure Fox was the most clutch player in the league, no? As in, most points in clutch time. Like Keon too but let’s pretend he’s ever becoming Fox. Why can’t they keep both and move others? Anyways, if I’m Fox I’m asking to be sent to San Antonio for sure.
Clearly, you haven’t been paying attention because Brown has run out some nonsensical rotations, isn’t playing his best defenders nearly enough (Ellis, for example), had already lost the locker room, and is seemingly in a feud with the best player on the roster (right or wrong, that’s the kiss of death). He absolutely deserved to be fire.
That being said, he was only part of the problem and far from the biggest one. So it can be equally true that Brown deserved to be canned and McNair is trying to cover for his own mistakes; the latter likely needs to go as well.
Doing anything they can to convince Fox to stay, trades incoming. I think he still leaves. Way too good to be wasting away in Sacramento. Shame, I’ve always wanted kings to do well after that laker circus back in the day. Bright side, should get quite the haul starting the rebuild.
Spurs on line 1
Yep, yep. 5 or 6 picks plus Jones and Johnson works. Spurs will still have 1sts every yr in the foreseeable future. Multiple even in some….still.
I think this roster was handicapped from the start. I didn’t like them losing Barnes and and adding DeRozan in his spot. I like DeMarr but this team lacks perimeter and interior D. I like Brown and thought he helped. Oh well
PLEASE hire him back, Warriors!!!
Maybe in two years. He’s gonna make 8 million a year sitting on the couch.
Was he at a Chick-Fil-A?
Counting that Sabonis is their best player, but for some odd reason the team plays for Fox instead… that alone should be an automatic firing, right?
The night after the Bears lose 6-3 the Kings take their mantle as worst franchise in sports back. Every 2 years without fail they fire the coach. Just gave this guy 10 million annually but nope adios
Victim of an incompetent front office. Going into this season, they needed floor spacing and D – so the front office signs an old, ball-dominant mid range shooter instead.
There’s talent in Sacramento, but they’ll never get past decades of stupidity from the men in suits.
Shea said:
> There’s talent in Sacramento.
Objectively, Sac talent grades as average, at best. Fox is a top 7-10 PG and Sabonis a top 5 center. Other than that, only Malik Monk and Keegan Murray have any trade value. It’s a top-heavy talent distribution.
As for Murray, it’s been a terrible year, so it’s the wrong time to trade him. In any case, the last 2 years have confirmed that Murray’s his low-ceiling, high floor evaluation, so he won’t bring a difference maker in return.
They will hire another retread like Vogel
Who would you suggest they hire? They’re sort of a veteran team so do you hand the reigns to Doug Christie? Actually he may be a good hire since he’s familiar with everyone and has been an assistant for a little while.
Sadly, Sacramento has been one of the least desirable NBA destinations for players and coaches. This was a lost opportunity to break through.
All CA teams suffer from the high state income tax, but LA has some unique advantages to compensate. The Bay Area suffers from ultra high cost of living, but Dubs have deep pockets. Sac is perceived as an overpriced OKC.
Time to get George Karl on the phone.
Been there, Done that already !!
But but he did such a great job last season with basically the same roster…so….
They let go of a glue guy who never complained and did his job and brought in a ball dominant mid range shooter who’s 35 years old. That’ll shake up continuity quite a bit. I liked the move because sometimes you gotta take a risk to get over the top, but it didn’t work out.
It won’t matter 1 minute, until you fire the True Culprit, McNothing Done and hire a REAL GM that knows what in the Hell they are doing. I don’t blame Brown, I Blame McNair. McNair is the person responsible for getting the right players and he has done a LOUSY Job. Brown can ONLY work with what is given to him to work with.
Sacramento Kangz.
Sacramento Queens
Coaching wasn’t the main issue. No HC was ever going to get any defense out of this group under the current rules. The next guy shouldn’t even try. Just get the pace up and try to out score teams.
And billy donovan still safe…lol.. Mike brown > billy donovan
For real. Billy D is terrible, he was bad with OKC basically just did what Brooks did. Made no actual adjustments. Bulls stay play in tier and keep him.
What another mess of an NBA organization. Another reason no one is watching games.
I said this 2+ years ago when he was hired…why do the Kings think someone who has never been successful is going to somehow become successful. This was inevitable.
Never successful?? Screw you! MBrown is one of the best and highly regarded in the league.
Gm next. Drafted a back up pg with injury. Holds on to Keegan like he is KD.
Vivek Ranadive is running the Kings Organization like the CEO of India Railways…trains falling apart and holes on the train floor as squating toilet.
Was just 2 days ago I wrote about how bad it was to trade Barnes away and sign DeRozan. It was all about the front office trying to get over the hump and be better but it made them worse and now they are sacking Brown.
Barnes was definitely a Brown guy from their time together in GSW, so I guess he must’ve known it was only just a matter of time. Atleast he got paid. I didn’t even think about the draft where they took Carter, when they already had Fox. I guess they just thought best player available and would get another Haliburton type trade.
That exchange was finalized 6 months ago in the summer so your hindsight is 20-20. I think my six-year-old son could’ve called it that it’s not working out “two days ago.”
You know I’m messing with you. I always enjoy your comments but I hope you can appreciate a good natured criticism now and again.
I was actually one that liked the move. The Kings had gone as far as they’re going to go with that unit. Why not dump Barnes who’s game had plateaued and bring in someone who can make a shot to win a game for you?
When you’re a 6 seed trying to become a 2 seed, you have to take a gamble here and there.
This one didn’t work out but you circle the wagons and try again. Firing the coach? Wow bold move but maybe Fox called for it?
Barnes left GS before Brown arrived. He was coaching CLE against GSW when Barnes was with them, and acquired and extended by SAC before he took the job.
All these players today are uncoachable. Weakest era ever
Their half-court offense too often leads to turnovers and contested shots at the shot clock. They also look clueless on offense far too often in the final minutes. They just take their foot off the peddle. The makeup of team is okay, but like most teams could use a defensive-minded big in the Naz Reid/Zach Randolph mold.
Naz Reid and Zach Randolph are offensive minded bigs not defensive bigs
Kings offer Huerter, Murray, Lyles, Carter, Jones, Len, cash and some picks for Butler and Love
Miami waives some guys first
Kings promote Jones from two way contract
Butler to nuggets/
Fox to heat/
MPJ and Naji to kings.
Picks sent to kings.