Sacramento needs to make some changes this summer, running it back and counting on internal improvement clearly did not work.
One thing not expected to change is the coach — which is saying something in Sacramento. Coaching and front-office continuity have been missing in Sacramento for decades.
Mike Brown earned the contract extension he seeks this summer. In his first season in Sacramento, Brown Brown led a much-improved Kings roster to 48 wins and third place finish in the Western Conference, ending a 16-year playoff drought and earning himself Coach of the Year along the way. This season, Brown led the Kings to a 46-win season, but in a deeper West that left them ninth and in the play-in, which they did not advance beyond. Sacramento’s offense slipped back to close to the league average (13th), and that reportedly bothered the front office, but an extension seemed logical. Brown reportedly has one guaranteed season (and one at a mutual option) left on his contract, and he wanted an extension at or above $10 million a season, which is the new going rate for the best coaches in the league.
Those talks have broken down, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.
ESPN Sources: After engaging in contract extension discussions, the Sacramento Kings and coach Mike Brown have tabled talks. There remains a gulf on a potential deal for Brown, who has one guaranteed season left on his contract. pic.twitter.com/AvYy4gaDGR
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) May 25, 2024
Brown didn’t sound too stressed about his contract situation when speaking to the media after the season.
“I have one year left on my deal. Everybody knows that, but I’m excited about being here,” Brown said. “I’m excited about our future, so I’m going to go into this summer trying to figure out how we can be better next year.”
In the NBA, success comes with a bill for ownership and the front office, impacting both players and coaches—and it’s hitting Kings owner Vivek Ranadivé for the first time. The Kings have become respectable, but that means paying some people who have options to go elsewhere.
This seems clearly about money, and the sides likely will figure something out — the talks are “tabled” for now, not completely broken off. However, in Sacramento with its history of franchise instability, the clouds seem just a bit darker with these things. The bill for success is coming due, and while the Kings need some subtle changes this summer, ownership should not be messing with the core things that have brought respect to the franchise.
