Mike

Brown

Brown helped the Kings return to the playoffs and end their drought two seasons ago before they lost during the Play-In Tournament last year. Currently, they’re 13-18, which is 12th in the West and are on a five-game losing streak. While Sacramento has been a bit disappointing to start the year, Brown just signed a three-year extension in June, which makes this decision somewhat surprising. Recent rumors have suggested that De’Aaron Fox could be interested in a trade, so we’ll see if this move encourages him to stay or makes him want to move on.

While Sacramento did not reach the playoffs this season, losing to New Orleans in the Play-In tournament, Brown’s two seasons with the franchise have been excellent. However, that did not prevent negotiations from hitting a bump in the road, as the two sides broke off talks of an extension earlier this month. Brown and the Kings resumed talks, with the sides reportedly agreeing on a deal that extends his contract through the 2026-27 season. Brown will make $8.5 million in 2024-25, a raise of $4 million, and he will also make $8.5 million in the 2025-26 and 2026-27 seasons. The Kings took a step back offensively this season, but they still have two talented weapons in De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis.

After being voted Coach of the Year by his peers (National Basketball Coaches Association) earlier this month, Brown won the NBA’s honor on Wednesday. This was the expected outcome, as he led Sacramento to its first playoff berth since 2006. And the voting wasn’t close, with Brown receiving all 100 first-place votes. He’s the first unanimous winner of the award. Oklahoma City’s Mark Daigneault finished second in the voting, followed by Boston’s Joe Mazzulla.

The keys will remain in Mike Brown’s hands as long as Kerr is sidelined, which is until he gets two negative tests. The Warriors won a close game at home before getting slaughtered in Memphis with Brown at the helm. In order to avoid more 3-1 jokes, Golden State will really need to end this series at home tonight.

Steve Kerr was ruled out for Game 4 shortly before the game began, and Brown coached the team to a 101-98 victory. Brown signed a 4-year coaching deal with the Kings on Sunday, so it’s been an eventful week for him thus far. All signs point towards Brown leading the Warriors into battle again on Wednesday, with a chance to close out the series. Brown is the first Kings’ coach to win a playoff game since 2006, even if it’ll take a bit more work to actually have Sacramento win a playoff game.

Brown is currently a member of Steve Kerr’s coaching staff with the Warriors, so it may be some time before he’s with the Kings full-time (depending on how far GSW goes in the postseason). This will be Brown’s third head coaching gig, as a one-plus year run with the Lakers was sandwiched in between two stints with the Cavaliers. His career coaching record is 347-216 (and 47-36 in the postseason), with Brown leading the Cavs to an Eastern Conference title in 2007.

Brown hasn’t held a head coaching position since the 2013-14 season when he returned to Cleveland for a year, but he’s spent the past four years serving as a key assistant coach on Steve Kerr’s staff in Golden State. The Pacers are still very early in their coaching search, so we wouldn’t expect an official decision soon.

Tyronn Lue, Jason Kidd, Mark Jackson, Jeff Van Gundy, Mike Brown and the incumbent interim coach Jacque Vaughn are all expected to interview for the position, with Lue reportedly being an early favorite. For what it’s worth, Tom Thibodeau is not currently being considered for the Brooklyn job, but he has been involved in a lot of rumors linking him to the Knicks.

Handy was a part of Brown’s staff in L.A., so it’s not exactly surprising Brown would reach out to him as he attempts to fill out his bench in Cleveland. According the Cleveland Plain-Dealer, Handy is the first person to interview for a position on Brown’s second coaching staff in Cleveland.

Handy was the player development coach for the Lakers, but he’ll re-join Mike Brown now that the head coach is back in Cleveland.