Scott Perry knew he had his hands full when he took the job as Kings general manager.
But perhaps even he didn’t realize how tall the task would be initially. Sacramento (4-13) has the second-worst record in the Western Conference and is among the six worst teams in the entire NBA to begin the 2025-26 season.
The rough start has sparked trade speculation and “blow it up” outcries from fans just one month into the season. So, Perry, just a few months into his second stint with the organization, spoke to The Athletic’s Sam Amick to clarify where things stand on his end and reassure Sacramento fans that his end goal hasn’t changed.
“I totally understand their frustrations to this point,” Perry told Amick via phone call. “It hasn’t been what they wanted. But again, it’s the old saying that Rome wasn’t built in a day — and that’s a fact. If you look at a number of the top teams in the league, they all went through a very tough stretch when they were trying to lay a foundation and create an environment that led to sustainable winning.
” … All I’ve ever asked from the very beginning is just: buckle up, be patient for the ride. We definitely have a plan in place, and we’ll do this thing together.”
Queue the eye rolls from Kings fans, who are tired of hearing about patience.
Their favorite team has made one playoff appearance in the past 19 years. After consecutive NBA Play-In losses over the last two seasons, Perry — and his players — confidently vowed to bring competitiveness and a playoff berth back to Sacramento.
DeMar DeRozan, before his second season with the Kings, warned that the Kings would have a bounce-back year. Russell Westbrook signed with the team and shared that one of the reasons why was because of the “doubt” weighing over the Kings from the outside.
But not even a team full of multiple All-Stars, All-NBA players and future Hall of Famers has been able to back up their words.
“This season was about evaluation and also creating an environment that could lead to potential sustainable success,” Perry told Amick. “And we went into this season laser-focused on (the notion that) we want to compete at a high level and we want to create identity in how we want to play. We wanted to play fast. We wanted to be tough, and we wanted to become a better defensive team. Now, obviously, at this juncture, we have not been successful in that goal or that vision. So has that been disappointing? Yeah, that’s been disappointing. But again, part of the evaluation is that you learn about everyone and everything here.
“It’s still relatively early, with a lot of basketball left to play, and there’s still an opportunity to work on developing an identity in becoming a much more competitive team. That is what I will continue to do moving forward. So that’s where I’m at right now. And, just for the record, I think it’s important to note that I have the autonomy to do so, and to be able to do those things.”
The deflating start to the season — which included an eight-game losing streak and a 41-point blowout loss to the Memphis Grizzlies playing without Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. — led to several emotional public statements.
Kings coach Doug Christie went viral for his passionate and fiery press conferences in consecutive days.
DeRozan recently told The Sacramento Bee’s Chris Biderman that the team was in a “s—–y place” and that “everything right now for us is just s—-y” after the Kings dropped their eighth game in a row.
Perry shared how the players are handling the rough patch and what the vibes are like in the locker room during these uncertain times.
“I’ve been in the league 25 years. I’ve been a part of all kinds of teams during that 25 years — from the highest of highs, winning a championship and being a consistent contender in Detroit, to other teams that had some of the worst records when you’re trying to rebuild,” Perry told Amick. “Losing brings frustration. That’s nothing unique to this team. That element will exist. But when you go through difficult times and adversities, you learn more about everyone — players, coaches, front office — because adversity doesn’t build character. It reveals character. So that’s my challenge to everybody in the organization, including the players.
“What’s your character really about? When things are going well, it’s easy to be at your best. But when things are going difficult, how do we respond? And so that’s what I’m going to be looking for. I see this as a great opportunity to do things the right way and set the foundation from the ground up. It’s tough going through it. But because I’ve had experience going through difficult times, I’m extremely confident that we will navigate these tough waters and we’ll come out on the other side in due time to start showing the necessary improvement that we need to do. But that’s going to take some time. I’m committed to that, and I’m committed to getting the job done for this Sacramento community and fan base.
“We’ve got some young players here that I’m excited about and want to develop — and will develop. As we move through the season, that will be an important part too, in terms of our long-term vision of building a winner. It’s important that our younger players develop this season, and we will be working diligently to make sure that that occurs during this season as well.”
Again, we’re just one month into the season. Yes, things are ugly, but it is early. There still is a lot of basketball to be played.
With that in mind, the trade deadline is still three months away.
Could Sacramento’s underwhelming performance change the way Perry approaches the deadline?
“Well, again, part of my job was always to examine what is here and be open to making the necessary changes to improve the roster. That is owed to the organization. That is owed to the fan base,” Perry told Amick. “But one of the things I stress is having the necessary patience as we embark upon this journey. If you’re going to build something sustainable, you have to be very candid and open to what you see as it plays out. And then you make the necessary moves. That’s what me and the front office will do. We’re going to do that not only this season, but in subsequent seasons.
“You’re always looking for ways to improve the roster, to attract guys that are gonna fit the identity that we want to establish. Historically in the league, when you’re trying to do that and change the culture and build a culture, that takes time. That’s just a fact. There’s no escaping that. There’s no quick fix or quick elixir to doing that if you’re going to try to build it the right way. … Even if the team was playing better, I still would have that same mindset. Obviously, we’re not playing well right now, but that’s just how I’ve always been wired.”
There’s that patience word again.
Less careful with his words and more outwardly blunt is Sactown Sports 1140 radio host Carmichael Dave, who recently shared that the team was undergoing a full-on rebuild.
Perry wouldn’t word it that way.
“Well, look, everybody has their choice of language,” Perry told Amick. “Like I said, when I came in here, it was about observing this year and then being able to make the necessary decisions and build from that point. I’m not a big label guy, but I’m just telling you that it’s going to take time to build this the right way. I never kidded myself about that. I always knew coming in here that this was going to be a lift to get this team to become a sustainable winner. Would you like to have it happen without some of the early noise? Sure, but life is never perfect.
” … I’m as confident as ever that we’ll get there.”
Just a little more patience, Kings fans.
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