Sacramento Kings coach Doug Christie reacts to an offensive foul against the Boston Celtics during an NBA game at Golden 1 center on Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026. HECTOR AMEZCUA hamezcua@sacbee.com
The expectation for the Sacramento Kings is that coach Doug Christie’s job is safe for the remainder of this season and into 2026-27 despite his team having the worst record in the NBA.
“I expect him to be our coach until I tell you anything different,” Kings general manager Scott Perry said Friday in a news conference.
Perry’s endorsement came in his post-trade deadline media session, his first formal press conference since trading away Dennis Schroder, Keon Ellis and Dario Saric to bring in De’Andre Hunter. The Kings otherwise stood pat amid rumors that had swirled involving moving center Domantas Sabonis to the Toronto Raptors and being in the mix for Memphis Grizzlies point guard Ja Morant.
Ultimately, Thursday’s deadline proved quiet for the Kings given the long rebuilding road ahead. Perry continued to preach the patient and long-term nature of his reshaping of the roster, emphasizing 2027-28 as when there will be salary cap flexibility when big contracts for Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan — and potentially Sabonis, if eventually traded — are off the books.
Which means Christie is expected to be the coach of the Kings heading into the next year of the rebuilding phase.
“I want to see us get incrementally better each day, our young players,” Perry said. “And I want to see him continue to improve as a coach. ... (I’m) behind him, and I expect him to continue to grow and improve and be the coach here for the Kings.”
It hasn’t gone well for the former Kings shooting guard in his first full season as head coach after the team fired Mike Brown in December 2024.
Sacramento Kings general manager Scott Perry watches as his team is unable to overcome the Denver Nuggets during an NBA game at Golden 1 Center on Thursday, Dec. 11, 2025. Hector Amezcua hamezcua@sacbee.com
Sacramento under Christie entered Friday with the worst record in the NBA at 12-40, having lost 10 straight games, and ranked 28th in both offensive and defensive efficiency. The Kings ranked 29th in net rating ahead of only the Washington Wizards, who beat the Kings 116-112 on Sunday.
“I’ve said many times, this is Doug’s first year as a coach,” Perry said. “I really enjoy working with him, his energy, his passion, not only for the game and to get better as a coach. But he has a passion for this community as you know. He was a star player on this team years ago and extremely invested in the community.”
‘Learning curve’ for Christie
Christie has reportedly signed a three-year contract with a team option for the third year, which lines up for the 2027-28 season when Perry is hoping to more easily make upgrades to the roster. Sacramento hasn’t had a coach for three full seasons since Dave Joerger from 2016-19. The two coaches since then, Luke Walton and Brown, were each fired before finishing their third years.
Perry harped on the need to develop young players like rookies Nique Clifford, Maxime Raynaud and Dylan Cardwell. But he also indicated he expects Christie to continue to learn and get better on the job.
“There’s a lot of learning that goes into that,” Perry said. “And I think he would be the first to tell you he’s right in the midst of a learning curve, being the head coach. That’s not just coaching the game, that’s managing the staff, that’s working with the front office, that’s all those things.
“He’s approached it with the appropriate mindset and demeanor,” Perry continued. “And so nobody wants to win more games than him. And I hope as he wins as many games as he can this year.”
Christie said this season “has been a lot” regarding his learning curve, which has included his in-game decisions, breaking down the game afterward and his messaging to players.
“There are a lot of little things that you don’t necessarily think about. You think about the big things like X’s and O’s. But adjusting on the fly ... For whatever reason, those curveballs come,” Christie said. “And what I’m going to do is make myself better from all of that available knowledge and learning. And obviously with Scott and B.J. (Armstrong), they have been a great support staff in that.
“But learning is everything that’s involved (with coaching). It’s not just one thing.”
Injuries have loomed large for Kings
The Kings’ unbalanced roster hasn’t jelled, and the team has sparsely played well during a mostly miserable season on the court. Perry noted the team’s injuries haven’t helped.
On Friday, Keegan Murray (calf) and Sabonis (lower back soreness) both missed their 34th games of the season. The pair haven’t played a minute together since the season began.
The Kings against the Clippers on Friday fielded their 26th starting lineup of the season. The starting lineup used the most — Russell Westbrook, LaVine, DeRozan, Precious Achiuwa and Raynaud — has been used just nine times.