After trading De’Aaron Fox to San Antonio last month, the Kings no longer have to worry about whether or not the star guard is confident in the direction of the franchise, but Fox wasn’t the only player in Sacramento with those concerns, according to Sam Amick and Anthony Slater of The Athletic.
[RELATED: De’Aaron Fox Talks Kings Exit, Loyalty To Mike Brown, More]
League sources tell The Athletic that Kings center Domantas Sabonis is expected to “seek clarity” this offseason about the team’s plans going forward.
Sabonis still has three years and $140MM left on his current contract after this season and won’t become extension-eligible until the 2026 offseason, so the Kings likely won’t have to make a decision about his future this year, like they did with Fox. However, like Fox, Sabonis and other members of the team’s core have questions about whose voices are loudest when it comes to key personnel decisions and whose counsel matters most to team owner Vivek Ranadive.
As Amick and Slater explain, Ranadive has frequently leaned on advisors outside of the standard front office hierarchy for advice on major team decisions. Former head coach Alvin Gentry is one such advisor, while John Calipari has also served as a sounding board. Veteran executives like chief operating officer Matina Kolokotronis and president of business operations John Rhinehart have had significant influence as well.
“What is the vision here?” a league source close to one core Kings player said. “It feels like it could be headed toward chaos.”
Here’s more on the Kings from Amick and Slater:
- While Ranadive’s son Aneel Ranadive was heavily involved earlier in the earlier days of Vivek’s ownership, his daughter Anjali Ranadive is believed to have had more say in recent years, leading to speculation about whether she may be the “heir apparent” as the team’s governor. Anjali’s input was one reason why the Kings hesitated to sign head coach Mike Brown to a contract extension last offseason, team and league sources tell The Athletic.
- Anjali Ranadive no longer has a formal basketball operations role in the organization after stepping down as the Stockton Kings’ general manager in January 2024, but she’s still believed to have influence throughout the organization, per Amick and Slater. She and former NBA player Jeremy Lamb “became a more visible part of the Kings’ decision-making tree early this season” after their relationship went public, though Lamb no longer seems as involved in organizational decisions as he was a few months ago, according to The Athletic’s duo.
- It’s not yet clear whether Doug Christie, who was 19-11 in his first 30 games as Sacramento’s coach entering Friday, will have his interim tag removed and become the club’s permanent head coach. Team sources tell The Athletic that if the Kings continue to win at this rate, Christie would have a strong chance to land the permanent job. If the Kings go in a different direction, they’d be hiring their 14th head coach since Rick Adelman‘s exit in 2006.
- Amick and Slater also dig in a little to the circumstances surrounding Fox’s departure from Sacramento, suggesting that the longtime Kings guard was worried about spending his prime years with a franchise that would be mired in “mediocrity and instability.”
He was 19-11 in his first 10 games????
He’s that good!
First 30 games! Trouble reading??
I mean, obviously they fixed it.
1 year of Sabonis for 3 years of Moses Moody 1-for-1 trade that is an actual viable trade, that both teams simply have to sign off on to make happen.
Would the Warriors really want to acquire a center that uses the ball as a weapon?
They seem content to already have a center that is well versed in using his hands and feet as weapons.
Davey J is quite clueless to the fact that salaries have to match to make a trade in the NBA. Sabonis makes three times as much Moody. The 1-for-1 trade can’t happen.
Called in the day the trade happened Sabonis and LaVine is better than Sabonis and Fox.
It’s not about Zach vs DeAaron it’s mainly about fit. Zach is a great offensive player who can get it off the catch, on the dribble, at the rim, from 3, from the mid range. However he wants he can get it. He doesn’t have the leadership or playmaking or even the defence of Fox who offers a lot more in those regard but in pure scoring Zach has him and now that Sabonis gets more touches and can be that lead guy for them it’s just clicking abit better.
I think DeRozan and Monk aren’t great fits in this new system they should run but they also shouldn’t be hard to move off and get a good return on. I’d like to see Keegan back at the 3 more and have a 4 that offers abit more on defence would be helpful.
Jabari Smith Jr would be great and I’m not sure if he’s a long term piece in Houston cause they’ve been balling without him this season. Tari might be the long term 4 now.
Ofcourse they could work out something easier but just for fun
Sac: Dillion Brooks and Jabari Smith Jr
Hou: Julius Randle
Min: DeMare DeRozan, Trey Lyles and a first from Sac
Not only do I think Jabari would be great but Brooks would also be huge for them. I think he’s slot in as a sixth man and would really give them a good boost off the bench with Carter, Keon and Jonas.
For Minny, they save 10mil in Lyles expiring deal, add a first and I think DeRozan is a much better fit for them. McDaniels to the 4 and DeMare at the 3. They are both low 20 points per game scorers, both offer secondary playmaking and ball handling and both not good three point shooters.
DeRozan would just be a better co-star to ANT and help him. The money saved could make bringing back Naz Reid easier and more purposeful.
For Houston, Randle’s 23-10-5 sorta production is a definite upgrade from Brooks 13-4-1 and Jabaris 12-7-1. Brooks is a good role player and Jabari still trying to find his groove really on a team that has big aspirations. Randle gives them another star and abit more muscle and size.
Doesn’t really cost them anything to really build a solid team on paper
Are you the person who a few years ago said the Rockets (least passes in the league, least amount of mid range shots) played the same style as the Warriors (most passes in the league, more mid range shots than most)? Do you now actually watch NBA games?
A few years ago, you holding receipts of people’s comments from a few years ago.
Nah bro wasn’t me but weird reply ….
Houston says no in a heartbeat.
Wow SAC must keep Christie, I mean he’s won 19 games out of his first 10 as a HC… definitely a keeper, right?
Just kidding, Luke!
Im a big Sabonis guy. I don’t see him as a center. He can play center as a scheme. Or to matchup to teams. He should be playing the 4. Kings should have a rim protector next to him. And let the game, competition. Dictate how you use him. Its amazing to me how teams are willing to pay their stars. And not willing to protect them. Or match them up well with teammates.
link to statmuse.com
If he left, he would be on his fourth team
Well, let’s see, No PG on the team right now. Just a bunch of SG, trying to play out of position to satisfy that roll. The problem has been all yr, no production at all from the 2nd unit. No defense. The big question is – Christie the Answer; the bigger question is there anyone out there better that will even take the job ?? Kings ownership does not have people who are lining up at the door to get hired !!