Kings media day: General manager Monte McNair addresses question about contract extension
There was a renewed sense of optimism in Sacramento as coach Mike Brown and the Kings prepared to open training camp Tuesday at their Golden 1 Center practice facility.
Fans have new hope for the future of Kings basketball due in large part to the moves general manager Monte McNair has made to overhaul the roster and coaching staff over the past two years, but McNair himself faces an uncertain future.
McNair offered a humorous response to defuse a question about his contract status at Kings media day Monday when asked if he has entered extension talks with the organization as he enters the final year of a three-year deal.
“Is my deal, like, on the internet or something?” McNair quipped. “Look, for me and my group, we’re excited about what we’ve done. We’re excited that coach Brown is in here. I’m the GM right now and I’ve got a bunch of work to do, so I’m going to do that until they kick me out, and I hope I’m here for a long time.”
De’Aaron Fox, Harrison Barnes and Richaun Holmes are the only players who have remained in Sacramento since McNair took the helm in September 2020. McNair has brought in a two-time All-Star in Domantas Sabonis and a collection of shooters that includes Kevin Huerter, Malik Monk and rookie first-round draft pick Keegan Murray.
The Kings have amassed the longest playoff drought in NBA history over the course of 16 consecutive losing seasons, but some fans, local media and national NBA analysts are beginning to believe Sacramento is on the verge of a revival.
“I think with this team we’ve put together, we’re really going to start seeing that progress,” McNair said. “It’s taken a couple years for us to kind of continue to shape the roster and get guys around Foxy and HB and Richaun and some of these guys that have been here, but I think for us, that’s what we see our job as, and as long as we’re here, we’re going to do it.”
The Kings will play their preseason opener against the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday at Crypto.com Arena. They will open the regular season at home against the Portland Trail Blazers on Oct. 19.
The Kings appear to be deeper and more talented than they’ve been in years. They have several players entering their prime between the ages of 22 and 26, including Fox, Sabonis, Huerter, Monk and defensive dynamo Davion Mitchell.
“We’ve got a lot of athleticism,” Fox said. “We have a lot of guys who can shoot the ball. I think that’s something that will be good for us this year, and obviously, defensively, Mike is already on us.”
Trey Lyles, a 26-year-old forward who was acquired via trade last season, said the team’s talent and depth will lead to strong competition in training camp.
“For sure,” Lyles said. “I think you just have to look at the roster, look at the moves that were made this summer, and it’s on paper. You can see it, so I think that’s going to help everybody out competitively to come out here and compete for the opportunity to play.”
McNair said he is looking forward to healthy competition in camp. He also reiterated that he will continue to explore every opportunity to improve the team.
“We never feel like we’re done,” McNair said. “We’re always looking. We’re going to have some great camp battles here. It’s going to be fantastic. Competition is a huge emphasis in this training camp from me and from coach Brown. We’ll see how that shakes out. We’ll see what happens around the rest of the league and we’ll be prepared, but we are excited about the group we have here.”
This story was originally published September 27, 2022 at 5:00 AM.
