{"id":13235,"date":"2025-05-06T12:03:18","date_gmt":"2025-05-06T12:03:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/13235\/"},"modified":"2025-05-06T12:03:18","modified_gmt":"2025-05-06T12:03:18","slug":"nbas-kings-keeping-wa-native-doug-christie-as-coach","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/13235\/","title":{"rendered":"NBA’s Kings keeping WA native Doug Christie as coach"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Sacramento Kings are closing in on a deal with Washington state native Doug Christie to keep him as coach following an interim stint that ended with a loss in the Play-In Tournament<\/a>.<\/p>\n

NBA commish opens up about potential Seattle Sonics expansion<\/a><\/p>\n

A person familiar with the deal told The Associated Press on Tuesday that the Kings are finalizing a multiyear contract with Christie. The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the team hadn\u2019t made an announcement.<\/p>\n

ESPN first reported the decision.<\/p>\n

Christie took over the Kings<\/a> after Mike Brown was fired in late December and posted a 27-24 record in his interim stint. Sacramento made it into the Play-In Tournament as the ninth seed but lost its home game to Dallas.<\/p>\n

Related: Sactown Sports reports on Doug Christie staying with Kings<\/a><\/p>\n

Christie, who was born in Seattle and attended high school at Longview\u2019s Mark Morris and Seattle\u2019s Rainier Beach, was picked by the hometown Seattle Supersonics 17th overall in the first round of the 1992 NBA Draft out of Pepperdine. He was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers before making his pro debut as a player and went on to a 15-year career with seven teams, which included four All-NBA Defensive Team honors, all of which came while with Sacramento.<\/p>\n

The Kings also have several players with ties to Washington. Three-time All-Star big man Domantas Sabonis starred in college at Gonzaga, and he was joined this season in Sacramento by two-time All-Star guard Zach LaVine<\/a>, who was a prep standout at Bothell High School, and guard Markelle Fultz<\/a>, who played for the UW Huskies before he was taken first overall in the 2017 NBA Draft by Philadelphia.<\/p>\n

General manager Monte McNair and the Kings \u201cmutually parted ways\u201d immediately following that game and Scott Perry was hired as his replacement<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Perry said he wanted to come to a quick resolution on the coaching decision, and he did that by keeping Christie in the role. The two will now try to get the Kings back to the postseason after losing in the Play-In Tournament the past two seasons.<\/p>\n

The Kings have made the playoffs just once in the past 19 seasons, losing in the first round to Golden State in 2023 in Brown\u2019s first season as coach.<\/p>\n

Sacramento has the fifth-worst record in the NBA since Vivek Ranadive took over as owner in 2013. The team has had five lead executives and nine head coaches \u2014 including interims \u2014 in that span.<\/p>\n

The Kings hope the new team of Perry and Christie brings needed stability to the franchise. The team has a core in place led by Domantas Sabonis, DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine, Keegan Murray and Malik Monk.<\/p>\n

The team likely won\u2019t have a first-round draft pick; the Kings have a 3.8% chance of moving into the top four in the lottery. Otherwise the pick will go Atlanta as part of a previous deal made for Kevin Huerter.<\/p>\n

Seattle Sports staff made additions to this post.<\/p>\n

UW men\u2019s hoops adds more transfers, another four-star recruit<\/a><\/p>\n

\t
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