Sacramento Kings

Who will coach the Kings? Five leading candidates Vlade Divac might be looking at

By Jason Anderson

With Thursday’s ouster of head coach Dave Joerger, the Kings and general manager Vlade Divac are in the market for a new leader, and social media is abuzz with the wealth of candidates the Sacramento team could choose from. Here are five leading candidates for the position:

Luke Walton

Los Angeles Lakers head coach Luke Walton during the first half of an NBA basketball game in New Orleans, Sunday, March 31, 2019. (AP Photo/Tyler Kaufman)
Los Angeles Lakers head coach Luke Walton during the first half of an NBA basketball game in New Orleans, Sunday, March 31, 2019. (AP Photo/Tyler Kaufman) Tyler Kaufman AP

Walton is on the hot seat after three seasons as head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers. If the Lakers fire Walton, he could be the frontrunner for the job in Sacramento. Walton previously served as an assistant coach with the Golden State Warriors during their ascension from 2014-16. He led the team to a 39-4 record as interim head coach when Steve Kerr took a leave of absence to rehabilitate his back.

Monty Williams

New Orleans Pelicans head coach Monty Williams calls out form the bench during the second half of Game 3 of a first-round NBA basketball playoff series against the Golden State Warriors in New Orleans, Thursday, April 23, 2015. The Warriors won in overtime 123-119, to take a 3-0 lead in the best-of-seven series. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
New Orleans Pelicans head coach Monty Williams calls out form the bench during the second half of Game 3 of a first-round NBA basketball playoff series against the Golden State Warriors in New Orleans, Thursday, April 23, 2015. The Warriors won in overtime 123-119, to take a 3-0 lead in the best-of-seven series. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert) Gerald Herbert AP

Williams, the lead assistant to Philadelphia 76ers coach Brett Brown, is widely respected around the league. After several years as an assistant with the Portland Trail Blazers, he served as head coach of the New Orleans Pelicans from 2010-15. He later worked as associate head coach of the Oklahoma City Thunder. Williams has also served as vice president of basketball operations for the San Antonio Spurs.

Ettore Messina

San Antonio Spurs assistant coach Ettore Messina shouts to the team during the first half of Game 3 of a first-round NBA basketball playoff series against the Golden State Warriors in San Antonio, Thursday, April 19, 2018. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
San Antonio Spurs assistant coach Ettore Messina shouts to the team during the first half of Game 3 of a first-round NBA basketball playoff series against the Golden State Warriors in San Antonio, Thursday, April 19, 2018. (AP Photo/Eric Gay) Eric Gay AP

Messina is a EuroLeague coaching legend and an assistant coach in San Antonio, where he has worked under head coach Gregg Popovich since 2014. Messina was named the Italian League’s Best Coach three times and has won four EuroLeague championships as a head coach. He has a career record of 279-98 in 17 seasons as a head coach in the EuroLeague. A Popovich disciple with that kind of international pedigree warrants strong consideration.

Mark Jackson

FILE - In this Friday, March 7, 2014, file photo, Golden State Warriors coach Mark Jackson gestures from the sideline during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Atlanta Hawks in Oakland, Calif. The Warriors fired Jackson on Tuesday, May 6, 2014. His three seasons with the Warriors will be remembered for the way he helped turn a perennially losing franchise into a consistent winner and the bold and bombastic way in which he did it. (AP Photo/Ben Margot, File)
FILE - In this Friday, March 7, 2014, file photo, Golden State Warriors coach Mark Jackson gestures from the sideline during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Atlanta Hawks in Oakland, Calif. The Warriors fired Jackson on Tuesday, May 6, 2014. His three seasons with the Warriors will be remembered for the way he helped turn a perennially losing franchise into a consistent winner and the bold and bombastic way in which he did it. (AP Photo/Ben Margot, File) Ben Margot AP

Jackson coached the Golden State Warriors during their rise from 2011-14 before being replaced by Steve Kerr. Jackson was the NBA Rookie of the Year in 1988 and an All-Star in 1989 while playing for the New York Knicks. He retired in 2004 before beginning his coaching career with the Warriors. Jackson currently works as an NBA analyst for ESPN.

Tyronn Lue

Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Tyronn Lue answers question a question during the NBA basketball team’s media day, Monday, Sept. 24, 2018, in Independence, Ohio. (AP Photo/Ron Schwane)
Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Tyronn Lue answers question a question during the NBA basketball team’s media day, Monday, Sept. 24, 2018, in Independence, Ohio. (AP Photo/Ron Schwane) Ron Schwane AP

Lue served as head coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers from 2016-18, guiding the team to an NBA championship in 2016 and NBA Finals appearances in 2017 and 2018. He was fired following an 0-6 start to the 2018-19 season. He previous worked as an assistant coach with the Boston Celtics, the Los Angeles Clippers and the Cavaliers.

This story was originally published April 11, 2019 at 11:44 AM.

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