The Sacramento Kings have pressing matters to address this offseason, as they try to avoid becoming stagnant in a relentless Western Conference. Before the front office tends to the roster, though, it is determined to nail down a new contract extension for the team's head coach.
After it was initially reported that talks cooled off with both sides being far apart, the Kings are heating discussions back up with their latest offer to Mike Brown. The two-time NBA Coach of the Year, who has one guaranteed year left on his current deal, would earn $21 million across three years (through 2026-27), according to Shams Charania of Stadium and The Athletic.
With bonuses, the total sum of the contract could reach $27 million. Brown does not think Sacramento's proposal matches his value, however, thus negotiations remain in progress. The former multi-championship-winning assistant with the Golden State Warriors is reportedly looking for a salary that pays him $10 million annually.
Obviously, there is still work to be done if the Kings hope to retain Brown for the distant future. A veteran, award-winning head coach who is adept at maximizing his star talent and has plenty of postseason experience is likely to be in high demand if he hits the open market. The franchise clearly does not want to see such a scenario play out, but financial concessions are rarely easy to make.
Especially for a non-player. The extra millions it will take to shore up the HC slot might be a bit steep for the organization. Still, this move at least suggests that general manager Monte McNair and the Kings brass are interested in putting pen to paper, potentially before the NBA offseason even officially begins.
Regardless of how this situation progresses, though, taking a step forward in 2024-25 will be essential.
Kings must catch up with the upper echelon of the West
Last season, Sacramento leaped into the No. 3 seed in the conference, enjoying its first taste of the postseason since 2006. Brown was flooded with acclaim for helping the squad come of age and produce one of the most efficient offensive units in the league. A brutal blowout loss to the Golden State Warriors in Game 7 of the opening round of the 2023 NBA Playoffs stung, but it did not completely erase the significance of what the Kings accomplished in just one year's time.
Improvement was expected, however. They spent much of this past regular season in the danger zone and ultimately stumbled into the Play-In Tournament. The jubilation gained from trouncing the Warriors in their first elimination game quickly evaporated following an unsuccessful effort against the New Orleans Pelicans.
Fans are definitely grateful that their team is stringing together consecutive winning campaigns after suffering through seemingly endless futility, but they are also far from being satisfied. Sacramento cannot stay on its current trajectory. The Kings' catchy battle cry will wear thin if they do not advance in the playoffs next year.
Though, in order to do that, McNair might have to make some tweaks.
The Kings have options
Injuries undeniably capped the team's ceiling, but even at full strength, it might not possess enough firepower to compete with the Dallas Mavericks, Minnesota Timberwolves, Denver Nuggets or Oklahoma City Thunder. Acquiring another star to put next to De'Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis might be the only viable path forward.
But that will require some serious cap space maneuvering. The Kings would predictably need to let valuable sixth man Malik Monk walk in free agency and probably trade their third-highest paid player in veteran Harrison Barnes if they wish to add someone like Paul George. Mike Brown would likely salivate at the opportunity to coach a legitimate big three, assuming he commits to being in Sacramento beyond next year.
An uncertain offseason can lead to welcome advancement, or the dreaded “plateau effect.”
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