Doug Christie has been a part of the Sacramento Kings organization for a long, long time, and it’s about to be longer. The Kings and interim coach Christie are finalizing a multiyear contract to make him the franchise’s official head coach, ESPN insider Shams Charania announced on Tuesday.
The Sacramento Kings and interim coach Doug Christie are finalizing a multiyear contract to make Christie the franchise's next head coach, sources tell ESPN. Christie's agent, Andy Miller of Klutch Sports, negotiated a new deal for the Kings' full-time job this week. pic.twitter.com/OKdBWxszVm
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) April 29, 2025
How did we get here?
It would be an understatement to say Sacramento went through changes in the 2024-25 season. Have you been on those rollercoasters that have numerous fake drops after fake drops with sharp twists and turns spread throughout… well, that about sums up the past year in SacTown. After adding veteran DeMar DeRozan to the roster in the offseason—which, in itself, was received with mixed criticism—the Kings started off 13-18 and fired head coach Mike Brown less than halfway through the season. Christie was announced as the interim coach while simultaneously, frustrations leaked from the organization and trade talks for Kings’ former star De’Aaron Fox heated up. Fox was then traded to the Spurs and Zach LaVine found himself reunited with his Bulls-buddy DeRozan.
Under Christie’s interim-regime, Sacramento went 27-24, ranking ninth in offensive efficiency and 23rd in overall defense in that time frame. However, they managed to drop 13 of their last 20 games and were bounced from the Play-In tournament by the Dallas Mavericks.
What’s next?
Good question. Right after their Play-In exit, Sacramento moved on from GM Monte McNair and hired longtime NBA executive Scott Perry to take his place. As for the staff, Doug Christie is expected to restructure his coaching staff in the offseason, but more than just personnel questions need to be addressed. Three-time NBA All-Star Domantas Sabonis left Kings fans with a daunting message, saying the organization needs a point guard:
Domantas Sabonis on potential roster tweaks: "The biggest thing is that we need a point guard. That's for sure."
— Brenden Nunes (@BrendenNunesNBA) April 17, 2025
Trade rumors have already sparked for the double-double legend, but consensus, for now, is that Sabonis wants to remain in Sacramento. Electric guard Malik Monk was a player asked to morph into roles he wasn’t originally comfortable with post Foxy’s trade, but has since confirmed his dedication to the organization:
Malik Monk said he’s “all in” on Sacramento and how he had to play multiple different roles throughout the season. pic.twitter.com/1mgqhGT2Ep
— James Ham (@James_HamNBA) April 17, 2025
Finishing 40-42 this season, the clearest spectacle on the court was how unclear the fit between DeRozan, LaVine, and Sabonis was—no longer did the team live by Domas-De’Aaron DHO’s. There are a litany of things to figure out, and head coach is just the start.
If there is one thing for sure, Doug Christie is familiar with the organization. After playing five of his 15 seasons in the NBA with the Kings, being an assistant coach since 2021 and holding a winning record as interim coach, Kings fans can’t say this move wasn’t expected. There’s a lot to figure out in the offseason, but it’s safe to say the original “Beam Team” from the 2022-23 season is far in the past.
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