The future of the Sacramento Kings’ bench remains one of the organization’s most important decisions, and on Sactown Sports’ The Matt & Kayla Show, Matt George and Kayla Anderson made a compelling case for why head coach Doug Christie deserves an opportunity to return next season.
“I’m pretty firmly in the camp of I think Doug Christie deserves to keep his job,” George said.
Rather than focusing on wins and losses or playoff success, George framed the decision in terms of a more immediate, practical question for the front office.
“I guess the main question that [Kings general manager Scott Perry] needs to ask himself—not Doug—Scott needs to ask himself, am I confident in Doug Christie being the first head coach and the first coaching influence on whichever rookie I draft? If the answer to that question is no, then you know what you have to do,” he said.
(Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images)
More on Doug Christie & the Sacramento Kings
But based on what the Sacramento Kings have seen internally, George struggled to find a reason to move on.
Anderson echoed that sentiment, emphasizing that expectations should be realistic given where the franchise currently stands.
“We’re not asking the question about winning playoff series with Doug Christie at this point,” she said. “Or can he be the coach to win a title—we’re not asking those. We’ll cross that bridge. We’re a long way off from that.”
Instead, both hosts pointed to tangible progress, particularly in the second half of the season. Player development has become the measuring stick, and in that regard, Christie has delivered.
“It’s strictly talent development,” Anderson added, noting that the team’s growth has been visible and meaningful.
George agreed, highlighting how that development has changed the conversation around the team.
Sacramento has struggled as a whole this season (19-57, owners of the worst record in the Western Conference), but first-year players like Maxime Raynaud and Dylan Cardwell have thrived under Christie, with rookie Nique Clifford and second-year guard Devin Carter also showing flashes of improvement down the final stretch.
“The way this season—the second half of the season—has gone, in particular, I think, is a major credit in a lot of ways to Doug,” he said. “At least in that sense, like making something for us to talk about that wasn’t, ‘Oh, they’re losing.’”
(Photo by Eakin Howard/Getty Images)
That shift matters. For a Kings team still building toward contention, progress isn’t just measured in the standings, but in growth, buy-in, and identity.
“We were able to talk about development and literally have seen it before our eyes with some of these players happening,” George said.
Christie is under contract for the 2026-27 season, with a team option for 2027-28. If Christie returns next season, he will become the head coach of a top-ten pick from a loaded 2026 NBA Draft class that includes the likes of AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson, Cameron Boozer, and more.
Check out the full conversation at the top of the page or by heading over to the Sactown Sports YouTube channel.
Listen to and watch Sactown Sports’ The Matt & Kayla Show with Matt George & Kayla Anderson, airing weekdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. PT on Sactown Sports.
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Upcoming Sacramento Kings schedule for the 2025-26 season
Wednesday, April 1st @ Toronto Raptors – 5:00 PM PT
Friday, April 3rd vs. New Orleans Pelicans – 7:00 PM PT
Sunday, April 5th vs. Los Angeles Clippers – 6:00 PM PT
Tuesday, April 7th @ Golden State Warriors – 7:00 PM PT
Friday, April 10th vs. Golden State Warriors – 7:00 PM PT
Sunday, April 12th @ Portland Trail Blazers – 5:30 PM PT
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