NBA rumors, Sacramento Kings, Monte McNair
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The Sacramento Kings snapped a 16-year playoff drought in 2023, earning general manager Monte McNair the NBA Executive of the Year award. A few seasons later, McNair could soon follow former head coach Mike Brown out the door of the Kings’ organization.
Sacramento entered the season with playoff expectations, hoping to make it back after getting knocked out in the NBA Play-In Tournament last season. In an attempt to increase the team’s playoff odds, McNair sacrificed the future in a sign-and-trade for All-Star DeMar DeRozan.
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As part of the three-team deal sending DeRozan to Sacramento, the team agreed to send unprotected swap rights to the San Antonio Spurs. It was a risky long-term move that McNair hoped would provide a much-needed star to pair with De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis.
However, things quickly unraveled. Following a 13-18 record to start the season, Sacramento fired Brown and named Doug Christie its interim coach. At the time, leaks from within the organization suggested that Fox had an influence in Brown being fired.
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Fox later requested a trade and was shipped to San Antonio for a package centered around veteran guard Zach LaVine, three second-round picks and the Spurs’ 2027 first-round pick. McNair hoped the blockbuster move would spark the team to a turnaround, but it has backfired and bigger chances could be on the horizon.
According to Jake Fischer and Marc Stein, many around the NBA believe that McNair is on shaky ground in the front office and it’s part of the reason why assistant general manager Wes Wilcox left to work for the Utah Utes as general manager of the men’s college basketball program.
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Changes within the Kings’ front office reportedly might depend on what happens on the court. With the team currently on the bubble of missing the NBA Play-In Tournament, there is “considerable angst in the air” for team officials in Sacramento.
Even if McNair is given another year to turn around, changes will be coming within the front office. Wilcox ‘frequently communicated’ with agents and rival teams in trade talks and Sacramento hired him years ago specifically to pair him with McNair. If the Kings fail to even make the tournament, it’s possible that McNair will be the third prominent member of the organization to depart.