It may be hard to imagine now, but the NBA wasn`t always full of dysfunctional teams. There was a time before the Phoenix Suns were owned by Mat Ishbia, before the Philadelphia 76ers were perpetually injured, and before the Dallas Mavericks traded Luka Dončić (actually, they drafted him, but the point is about team mismanagement). Currently, several NBA teams are struggling, but the Sacramento Kings have been a consistent example of poor management for nearly two decades.
For example, before the Denver Nuggets almost fired Michael Malone late in a season, the Kings fired him early in his second season in 2014 due to DeMarcus Cousins` illness. Before the Suns traded away draft picks for mismatched stars, the Kings traded draft picks for salary cap space to sign players who didn`t even want to play for them. And before the Mavericks` controversial Dončić trade, the Kings traded Cousins during the All-Star Game, a move so poorly received that the NBA changed the trade deadline to prevent it from happening again.
The Mavericks are a good comparison right now because they just played the Kings in a postseason play-in game and easily won in Sacramento. Just a day after a bizarre press conference by Mavericks executive Nico Harrison, Dallas defeated the Kings 120-106, advancing in the play-in tournament. About an hour after the game ended, the Kings fired their General Manager, Monte McNair, who was named Executive of the Year in 2023, according to reports.
This situation reminds the basketball world that even though the Mavericks have recently become known for their chaotic decisions, the Kings remain just as disorganized. This is an important reminder because the Kings have been overshadowed by teams like the Mavericks recently, as they stumbled to the end of another disappointing season.
Remember when the Kings fired a Coach of the Year and handled it so badly that it contributed to De`Aaron Fox`s frustration? It seems like a long time ago, but it was less than five months ago. Fox expressed his disappointment that the organization didn`t defend him after the coach firing.
Consider also when the Kings looked at the mediocre Chicago Bulls teams of recent years and decided to imitate them by acquiring DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine. This recent move resulted in the Kings being eliminated in the play-in tournament. DeRozan and LaVine have a history of play-in losses together from their time in Chicago. It shouldn`t be surprising that a team built around these players would struggle to advance deep into the playoffs.
This is the current state of the Kings. Their long playoff drought was so painful that even after finally ending it, they panicked when faced with challenges. They won only slightly fewer games in 2024 than in 2023 but had worse playoff positioning due to bad luck. This almost cost coach Mike Brown his job extension. He received one, but after a slow start to the season, partly due to unlucky close game results, he was fired. Now, fittingly, the Kings have built a roster focused on regular season consistency rather than serious postseason aspirations.
Players like DeRozan and Domantas Sabonis are durable, while LaVine, though injury-prone, is under a long-term contract and seems less eager to join a championship contender than Fox. This trio can provide consistent scoring, but they are defensively weak, their offense hasn`t been successful in the playoffs, and they consume significant salary cap space. However, they can help the Kings win around 40 games and participate in the play-in tournament, as long as they are okay with not winning those games.
For a while, the Mavericks` issues made the Kings look relatively better. But the Kings made major mistakes like drafting Marvin Bagley over Dončić. While the Kings may have more draft assets than the Suns and might be healthier than the 76ers, losing important games to teams that are diverting attention from their own problems makes it harder for the Kings to hide their dysfunction.
This offseason is crucial for Sacramento. It`s likely their last opportunity to prove that their 2023 season wasn`t a fluke and that they aren`t as poorly managed as many believe. The struggles of teams like the Mavericks, Suns, and 76ers give the Kings a chance to improve without intense scrutiny. They need to fix their issues quietly and effectively.
However, if Doug Christie isn`t hired as the full-time coach, the Kings will be hiring their 14th coach since Rick Adelman left in 2006. It`s also unclear who is leading the front office after McNair`s departure, or even who was truly in charge before. Is Vlade Divac, who oversaw a dark period for the franchise, regaining influence? And what about the joke from a Kings staff member about everyone working for Jeremy Lamb soon? Lamb, a former Kings player, became involved in team decisions partly because of his connection to Anjali Ranadivè, the owner`s daughter.
These are unusual questions to be asking about an NBA team. But, unsurprisingly, they are questions we must ask about the Sacramento Kings, a team that can make even the Mavericks look competent, at least for a night, in the current NBA landscape.
Jasper Hawthorne