The Sacramento Kings have been a miserable franchise over the last decade and a half. Their in-state counterparts, the Golden State Warriors, have been one of the most successful teams in NBA history in recent memory and have reloaded their team to be one of the best in the league this season. The Kings are reportedly interested in tapping into the Warriors' coaching staff to help turn their fortunes around.
According to longtime NBA reporter Marc Stein, Sacramento is considering Kenny Atkinson and Mike Brown, both assistant coaches with the Warriors who have head coaching experience, as candidates if they chose not to keep interim head coach Alvin Gentry around.
Atkinson was last a head coach in 2020, when he was fired midseason after a successful stint with the Brooklyn Nets. Under Atkinson, who was hired by the Nets in 2016, Brooklyn went from being a laughing stock to a playoff team. Atkinson spent last year as an assistant with the Los Angeles Clippers.
Brown has been an assistant coach for the Warriors since the 2016-17 season. He coached six seasons with the Cleveland Cavaliers and spent two with the Los Angeles Lakers. Brown's Cavs, led by LeBron James, went 305-187 with him at the helm and were 2007 Eastern Conference champions.
Gentry has head coaching experience prior to becoming the King's interim coach, too. He broke into NBA coaching in 1989 and has spent at least three years as the head coach of four different teams (the Detroit Pistons, Clippers, Phoenix Suns and New Orleans Pelicans).
Whoever becomes the head coach of the Kings has their work cut out for them. Sacramento has not been to the playoffs in 15 years, the longest drought in the league. If they fail to make it this year, they'll set the NBA record for longest playoff drought.
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