Mike Brown is now the answer to a sports trivia question. The question, of course, is who was the first NBA coaching casualty of the 2024-25 season. Where do the Sacramento Kings go from here?
Sacramento fired Brown just 31 games into the season. While it is not a huge surprise that the Kings’ dumped Brown, it is a little bit of a shock the organization decided to make a change just months after extending the 54-year-old’s contract through 2026-27. As a result, the Kings are on the hook for $25.5 million, while Brown possibly staying at home
“This was a difficult decision, and I want to thank Mike for his many contributions to the organization,” Kings general manager Monte McNair said in the team’s statement.
Analyzing Sacramento Kings Coach Options After Mike Brown Firing
I don’t want to rain on Brown’s parade; he was a little overrated as a coach. Don’t get me wrong, Brown has done a fabulous job stops all his stops and worked very hard on his craft. He was also very respected around the league, though some of it might have been due to his hustle.
“The firing of Mike Brown today was just shocking to me, and I’m sure all the people in our profession — men and women,” Indiana Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle said in his reaction to the news of Brown’s dismissal. “I had the privilege of working with Mike when I was in Indiana coaching the first time. I view him as one of the standard bearers for integrity for our profession. And I’m just absolutely shocked that that decision was made.”
But Brown’s teams underachieved more than not. He is probably best suited to be an NBA assistant, and that is not a knock.
Brown has been a part of many teams with great players. He has compiled a 454-304 record in 10 seasons, posting eight winning seasons. But he has just a 50-40 record in the postseason, reaching the conference finals twice and the NBA finals once.
Brown’s Time In Sacramento
Brown may have done his best coaching job in his first season in Sacramento. He helped change a losing culture, as 2022-23 was the Kings ‘first winning season since 2005-06. That year, the Kings won 48 games, finished third in the Western Conference, and had the league’s best offense. They were upset in the first round by sixth-seed Golden State in seven games.
Sacramento also won 46 games in 2023-24, though the Kings were just ninth in the West. The Kings defeated the Warriors in the 9-10 playing game but fell to New Orleans in the final game of the conference play-in tournament. While the Kings improved defensively, they saw a significant drop in offensive efficiency and production — averaging about seven fewer points a game than the previous season.
This year, McNair rolled the dice a little. The Kings signed 35-year-old DeMar DeRozan to a massive three-year deal, and that decision essentially cost them Harrison Barnes, who was a solid role player during his tenure with the franchise.
DeRozan has been productive, but he didn’t seem like a great fit under Brown. He is not a threat from beyond the arc and is not as good a defender (team-wise or individually) as Barnes.
While the Kings were statistically better on both ends than a year ago, they have many issues. They sit 12th in the conference with a 13-18 record, having lost five straight. They are just 6-5 against teams with a losing record and 2-6 in games decided by three or fewer points.
Brown’s Issues That Likely Led To Firing
The Kings have several defensive issues and perhaps some chemistry issues. Brown has failed to adapt his philosophy to his personnel or maximize his roster.
Here are some snippets from Tim Maxwell of The Kings Herald, who called out Brown about a week ago for being terrible.
“Many factors have contributed to the mess that is the 2024-2025 season, from a GM who hibernates 90% of the season and who has yet to build a competent roster after the Tyrese Haliburton–Domantas Sabonis swap, to a few ill-timed injuries, to players who are simply performing well below their abilities. There’s a lot of bad and very little good happening anywhere across the organization, but no one has been quite as bad as Mike Brown this year.”
Maxwell called Brown’s offensive philosophy an “old-school offensive scheme, old-school, ineffective offensive philosophy that doesn’t highlight the strengths or cover for the weaknesses of an extremely flawed roster.”
Talking about the Kings’ defensive woes. Sacramento’s defense is giving up the third-most threes (14.6), seventh-most three-point attempts (39 a game), and owns the fifth worst 3-point percentage (37.5%). They also foul way too much.
Mike Brown has deployed a bad, inefficient, ineffective defensive strategy that welcomes opposing teams to catch fire from beyond the arc and smoke the Kings over 48 minutes.
Outside of the overall offensive and defensive strategies employed by the Kings, Mike Brown’s third massive issue has been his inconsistent rotations and accountability.
Former NBA guard Doug Christie, who has been an assistant with the Kings since 2021, will lead the team until a permanent replacement is hired. Therefore, he will have until the end of the season (51) games to impress McNair and the rest of the Kings’ decision-makers. Does Christie deserve consideration for the full-time position?
Kings Potential Coaching Options
Doug Christie
Christie has long been in the NBA and knows the Kings’ organization well. The 54-year-old, the No. 17 selection in the 1992 NBA Draft, played 15 years in the league, including four-and-one-half seasons in SacTown. He has watched every one of the Kings’ games since 2018, with the last three-plus seasons from the bench.
While Christie has officially been a head coach, he filled in for interim coach Alvin Gentry, who missed one game after testing positive with COVID during the 2021-22 season. The Kings won that game against Washington.
Christie also led the Kings’ 2024 Summer League squad to a 4-4 mark. The Kings went 2-3 in Vegas and 2-1 at the California Classic.
According to The Athletic’s Anthony Slater and Sam Amick, Christie is much beloved.
“Christie has established strong relationships with the Kings’ core players during his three-plus years on their bench. Sabonis has constantly raved about the extensive offseason work they do together. Christie’s messaging on De’Aaron Fox — that he’s fully capable of being an elite two-way player — has been embraced by the 27-year-old one-time All-Star. He now gets his chance to lead the franchise.”
Jay Triano, Sacramento Kings
Can’t imagine that the Kings will turn to 66-year-old Jay Triano after bypassing Brown’s lead assistant for the interim job, but if Christie fails, anything can happen. Triano has been in Sactown since 2022 and has four years of head coaching experience, posting a 108-200 record.
Sam Cassell, Boston Celtics Assistant
Sam Cassell has been one of the hottest assistant coaches over the last few seasons. Like Christie, Cassell was respected as a player and the same applies as an assistant. The 55-year-old spent 15 years in the league as a player and has been an assistant coach since retiring in 2009.
Cassell helped Boston win the 2024 NBA title, and the Celtics are a favorite to repeat in 2025. He has experience as a head coach with a few summer league squads and reportedly interviewed for the Los Angeles Lakers job this summer.
Jerome Allen, Detroit Pistons Assistant
Jerome Allen is in his first year of a second stint with Detroit. Allen, who played two years in the NBA, has been an assistant in the NBA since 2015, though he served as a Pro Scout last year in Boston. Before 2015, he was head coach at Penn, posting one winning season and a 65-104 mark in six seasons with the Quakers. The Pistons reportedly considered Allen for their top job.
Caron Butler, Miami Assistant coach
Caron Butler is one of the hottest names in the NBA assistant circles. Butler, who was the No. 10 overall selection by Miami in 2002, spent his last season as a player in Sacramento in 2015-16. He has been an assistant with the Heat since 2020 and signed a four-year extension with the franchise this spring.
Butler, who has said he wants to be an NBA head coach, directed the Heat’s 2023 Summer League squad to a 3-2 record.
“That’s the dream,” Butler told the Miami Herald of his goal of leading his own NBA team. “I’m continuing to be in basketball school and learning from some of the best minds to ever coach the game of basketball.”
David Adelman, Denver Nuggets Assistant
David Adelman is a highly thought-of assistant coach and is currently Michael Malone‘s top aide in Denver. Adelman, who has been in the NBA since joining his father Rick Adelman’s staff in 2011, has served three stints as head coach in the summer league. He reportedly reported for three of the league’s openings last season: Charlotte, Cleveland, and Lakers.
Micah Nori, Minnesota Timberwolves Assistant
Like Adelman, Nori is a highly regarded assistant who has drawn considerable interest as a head coaching candidate. The 50-year-old has been an NBA assistant since 2009 and has been Chris Finch’s right-hand man in Minnesota since the 2021-22 season. He has also served as a head coach in the NBA summer league and had three interviews last offseason: Cavaliers, Pistons, and Lakers.
Here is what ESPN’s Hanif Abdurraqib said about Nori:
“Nori is also a unique coaching mind, one who — for Wolves fans who watch the broadcasts — breaks down defensive strategy in depth pre-game, with a real level of focus and clarity.
Chris Quinn, Miami Heat Assistant
Chris Quinn spent six years in the NBA as a player from the mid-2000s to the early 2010s. The 41-year-old, who served as an assistant coach at Northwestern for one year, has been on the Heat’s bench since 2014.
Quinn has been high on NBA teams’ lists since 2020. This past offseason, Quinn reportedly interviewed for the Cavs, Lakers, and Hornets jobs. He was also considered for Brooklyn, Detroit, and Washington’s openings.
Here is what ESPN’s Kevin Arnovitz said about Quinn:
Quinn is a point guard’s point guard who has excelled at every task en route to the lead assistant’s chair in Miami. Ask Heat insiders who most embodies the team’s culture, and Quinn is commonly the answer (one league source affectionately referred to Quinn as Spoelstra’s “mini-me” for his temperament and organizational skills). He’s an emotionally stable leader who inspires confidence in players, as revealed when he filled in for Spoelstra as head coach for a stint in March and April.
Quinn filled in for Erik Spoelstra when Spo was in health in safety protocols late in the 2021-22 campaign.
Royal Ivey
Royal Ivey played for several teams from 2004-2014. The 43-year-old began his coaching career with the G-League Oklahoma City Blue and has been in the NBA since 2016. He has been on the Houston Rockets bench since 2023.
Additionally, Ivey has served as head coach for the South Sudan National team since 2021. He has led South Sudan to a 4-6 record in three major tournaments, including the 2023 FIBA World Cup (1-2) and 2024 Olympics (1-2).
Ivey interviewed for Charlotte’s job this past season and was also considered by the Wizards for their vacancy.
Mitch Johnson, San Antonio Spurs Interim Coach
Mitch Johnson, who has been with San Antonio since 2019, was promoted to interim coach following Gregg Popovich’s stroke. Johnson, a candidate for Washington’s top job last offseason, has led the Spurs to a 14-12 record.
With Popovich reportedly returning to the sidelines at some point, the 38-year-old coach will likely be a hot commodity.
Others
Popeye Jones: Jones played 11 seasons in the NBA. The 54-year-old has been an NBA assistant since 2010 and has been on the bench with the Denver Nuggets since 2021.
Johnnie Bryant: Bryant has been a fast riser. The 39-year-old has been an NBA assistant since 2014, serving as associate head coach for New York (2020-2024) and Cleveland (2024-present). He reportedly interviewed for the Cavs opening that went to JB Bickerstaff and was considered for the Pistons job.
Sean Sweeney (Dallas), Jacque Vaughn (126-239 as NBA head coach), Frank Vogel, and Alex Jensen (Dallas) could also be intriguing options.
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