10:47 am: The Kings issued a statement that they have officially parted ways with McNair, James Ham of The Kings Beat tweets.
12:41 am: After five years together, the Kings and general manager Monte McNair have mutually agreed to part ways, per Sam Amick of The Athletic (Twitter link).
The news broke just minutes after Sacramento was upset at home by the Mavericks, 120-106, in the West’s No. 9 vs. No. 10 play-in tournament game on Wednesday, ending the Kings’ season.
As ESPN’s Shams Charania writes, McNair’s tenure with the club included three consecutive seasons of 40 or more wins and a .488 overall win percentage (195-205).
The Kings snapped a 16-year playoff drought in 2023, posting a 48-34 record and securing the Western Conference’s No. 3 seed. But that was the team’s lone playoff appearance during McNair’s tenure, as the club was eliminated in the play-in tournament in each of the past two seasons.
This season, Sacramento fired former Coach of the Year Mike Brown after a 13-18 start. All-Star guard De’Aaron Fox was subsequently dealt to San Antonio in a three-team blockbuster deal with Chicago after he made it clear he wouldn’t sign an extension with the Kings. Under interim head coach Doug Christie, the Kings went 27-24 to finish the season.
McNair isn’t the only Sacramento mainstay who’s moving on this offseason. According to Mark Haynes of The Sacramento Observer (via Twitter), assistant coach Jim Moran is joining the college ranks, and will serve as an assistant under Florida State head coach Luke Loucks. Loucks was on the Kings’ coaching staff before being hired by the Seminoles in March.
As we noted earlier today when we wrote about McNair being on the hot seat, former Kings assistant general manager, Wes Wilcox also left the club in March to serve as the general manager at the University of Utah.
Following Wednesday’s defeat, Christie reflected on his uncertain future with the club, tweets James Ham of The Kings Beat.
“This is where I want to be, I think you all know that,” Christie said. “I need to finish what I started.”
According to Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee (via Twitter), Christie told reporters that he had not received any indication he would be returning as the Kings’ coach next season.
I myself and some others on this site could help
The Queens are a dumpster fire.
McNair today, gone tomorrow…life moves too fast
This should have happened last yr at the most.
Dead-end job. Kings are a franchise to avoid at all costs.
The team was a throw together team especially once Fox was traded. The Bulls duo was not going to help. Sabonis is a #2-3 he can’t be your best player. Monk is solid, Ellis is a bench guy not a starter.
I don’t think they should have hung on to Keegan like he is the 2nd coming, he is at his ceiling. If the next GM maxes him out the team is cooked.
Any team with Sabonis will never win anything meaningful. He’s a good player, but he’s not a top 10/20 player in the league like most experts keep harping on him. When they needed a basket or play, he’s usually nowhere to be found.
Because Sabonis should be playing PF
Well, it’s tough to determine how good a Sabonis-lead team can even be when not once during his entire time in Sacramento have the Kings built around him properly. If anything, they’ve done the exact opposite in chasing big names that don’t fit.
Jokic has never had another All Star. Sabonis has had Fox with Kings and didn’t get out of 1st and other years disappoint. He played with Russ he played with Pacers that I believe had another All Star. He can’t be your best player and maybe a stretch as 2nd best.
I don’t necessarily disagree. I was just pointing out that there was never even slim hope for the Kings with the way they went about things. If Sabonis is your guy for better or worse, build around that guy properly. They deserved to be blown out last night.
I bet Sabonis on wolves would work.
I had a lovely woman drive me home from the bar last night. I anticipate this will be my new yearly tradition after watching the Kings lose in the play in. Im not okay hahahahaahahaha
If it works. Go there everytime a Kings game is on. 82 times. That’s a really really good year, maybe a poor man’s Wilt Chamberlain stat. I’m not okay hahahaha