Next steps for Sacramento Kings following a season of chaos and change
Chaos, confusion and change came to define a tumultuous 2024-25 NBA season for a Sacramento Kings organization that reverted to its dysfunctional ways following a rare period of stability.
The Kings fired a two-time Coach of the Year who helped them end the longest playoff drought in NBA history after 16 consecutive losing seasons. They traded one of the best players in franchise history. Then they parted ways with a general manager who was named Executive of the Year after transforming the roster in a way that brought winning basketball back to Sacramento for the first time since 2005-06.
New general manager Scott Perry will have to reestablish a sense of direction and trust within the palace walls following a disappointing season that frustrated fans and took a toll on everyone in the organization. The turmoil of the past 12 months was weighing heavily on the minds of players after Sacramento’s season ended with a 120-106 loss to the Dallas Mavericks in an NBA play-in game Wednesday at Golden 1 Center.
“It’s probably the most I’ve ever been through in my 16-year career,” said Kings forward DeMar DeRozan, a six-time All-Star who recently moved up to 25th on the NBA’s all-time scoring list. “The season we had is a lot. It’s too hard to fathom right now, but I’m pretty sure over the next couple days it will kind of hit, the reality of everything we all went through.”
Perry, who is expected to be introduced early this week, faces difficult and momentous decisions in Sacramento with the draft and free agency approaching. He must assemble a front-office staff, choose a head coach and find a sensible way forward in terms of the team’s roster construction.
“I think you just need to find some consistency — players, coaches, a firm direction,” Kings guard Zach LaVine said.
The fate of Doug Christie
Perry’s first decision will determine the fate of Doug Christie, who took over as interim head coach when Mike Brown was fired Dec. 27 after the Kings went 13-18 to start the season.
Christie went 27-24 in 51 games despite dealing with roster changes and injuries that stalled chemistry development with key players in and out of the lineup. The Kings won 10 of their first 12 games under Christie, but they went 16-18 after trading De’Aaron Fox to the San Antonio Spurs and Kevin Huerter to the Chicago Bulls in a three-team deal that brought LaVine to Sacramento.
Christie appears to be well positioned to keep his job after players expressed their support for him during exit interviews.
“To see him thrown in the position he was thrown in and rally us together when everything was so chaotic, he held his own,” DeRozan said. “First time being in that position with so many uncertainties, he kept us together. That says a lot about the capability he has to bond a team together.”
Kings center Domantas Sabonis agreed.
“He loves the team. He loves the franchise. He loves the city,” Sabonis said. “He’s going to give everything he has every day.”
Future of DeRozan and Sabonis
DeRozan and Sabonis are entering the offseason with questions about their respective futures in Sacramento with both players saying they will be seeking clarity on the organization’s direction this summer.
DeRozan didn’t sugarcoat his words when asked which factors will be weighing on his mind.
“Just the structure and a foundation of a compete level,” DeRozan said. “I think all year we had such an uncertainty of everything. You can’t really operate in any successful environment if you have so much uncertainty, so I think for me, just the uncertainty of what it’s going to be going forward.”
Sabonis wants to know how the Kings plan to proceed under new leadership.
“First of all, I want to say I love it here,” Sabonis said. “I want to stay here. I want to win here. I also do want to know what’s going to happen. All these things are happening so quick. I want to get together with the new people, whoever comes in, and really try to get this right and get it back to where it was before.”
NBA draft
The NBA draft will be held June 25-26 with Duke star Cooper Flagg headlining a strong class, but the Kings are not expected to be major players.
The Kings still owe the Atlanta Hawks a first-round draft pick from the 2022 trade that brought Huerter to Sacramento. The pick is top-12 protected this year, which means the Kings will keep their pick if they land one of the top 12 lottery selections.
That is highly unlikely. The Kings have a 3.8% chance of being awarded one of the top three picks, zero chance of landing picks 4-12, a 92.9% chance of at the No. 13 pick and a 3.3% chance at the No. 14 pick.
Odds are the Kings won’t have a first-round pick this year, but they do have a second-round pick at No. 42.
Free agency
Teams can start negotiating with their own free agents the day after the conclusion of the NBA Finals. They can negotiate with outside free agents beginning June 30, but they can’t sign players until the moratorium ends July 6.
LaVine, DeRozan, Sabonis, Malik Monk, Keegan Murray, Jonas Valanciunas and Devin Carter are under contract for next season. The Kings have team options on Keon Ellis, Isaac Jones and Terence Davis.
Markelle Fultz, Isaiah Crawford and Mason Jones will be restricted free agents. Trey Lyles, Jake LaRavia, Doug McDermott and Jae Crowder will be unrestricted free agents.
LaVine and Murray are eligible for contract extensions.
Salary cap situation
The salary cap is projected to be $154.6 million next season with the luxury tax projected as $187.9 million, the first apron projected at $195.9 million and the second apron projected at $207.8 million.
The Kings are projected to be well over the cap with $167.9 million in salary for the 10 players they have under contract, assuming they pick up their options on Ellis, Davis and Isaac Jones.
This story was originally published April 21, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
