SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Despite a 22-60 record that has them at the bottom of the Western Conference standings, the Kings are retaining coach Doug Christie for next season, team sources told ESPN on Sunday.
Christie initially stepped into the job in December 2024, serving as the interim head coach after the Kings fired Mike Brown. New general manager Scott Perry took over franchise decision-making last summer and gave Christie the full-time job, signing him to a three-year deal.
Christie’s first full season fell flat in the first month. Sacramento lost starting wing Keegan Murray in the preseason to a torn thumb ligament and starting center Domantas Sabonis in November to a partially torn meniscus. The Kings stumbled to a 3-13 start and spiraled to a 12-46 record.
Perry and Kings management said they believed Christie was never given a proper runway with the current roster, team sources said. The team’s projected starting lineup never played a minute together.
Sabonis was limited to 19 games before season-ending surgery. Veteran scorer Zach LaVine played 39 games before season-ending surgery on his right hand.
As the franchise has pivoted toward youth, the team has gone 10-14 in its past 24 games. Part of Sacramento’s decision to retain Christie is about the positive development of rookie centers Maxime Raynaud and Dylan Cardwell, and first-round pick Nique Clifford.
The batch of wins has come at a slight cost to the team’s lottery odds. After Sunday’s 122-110 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers, the Kings had gone from the NBA’s worst record to the fourth worst, tied with the Utah Jazz (who lost to the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday) at 22-60.
The next big day for the franchise is lottery night on May 10 when the Kings will find out exactly which top-8 selection they will receive in a loaded draft.