The Sacramento Kings are sticking with Doug Christie. Multiple reports, first from The Athletic’s Sam Amick, indicate the front office intends to retain the head coach despite a brutal 22-win season that left the team well outside the playoff picture.
It’s been a rough ride in Sacramento. The team started the year hoping for a repeat of their 2023 magic but instead ended up 15 games back of the No. 10 seed. With injuries piling up and the roster shifting after De’Aaron Fox’s trade demand, the environment wasn’t exactly set up for success.
So why keep him? The consensus around the league is that the roster construction—not the coaching—was the real culprit. It’s hard to judge any coach when the talent pool is this thin and the lineup is in constant flux.
There is also the matter of development. The front office reportedly liked the growth they saw from younger players like Maxime Raynaud and Nique Clifford during the second half of the year.
At the end of the day, Christie is a favorite of owner Vivek Ranadive and remains popular with the local fanbase. Plus, with two years left on his contract, firing him would have meant paying him to sit at home anyway. He’ll be back on the bench when next season tips off.