Monte

McNair

Less than an hour after the Kings’ season ended with a play-in tournament loss to the Mavericks, the team’s lead executive is reportedly on his way out. Named the general manager in September 2020, McNair oversaw a turnaround culminating in the franchise’s first playoff appearance in 17 seasons in 2023. However, the Kings missed the playoffs in the two seasons that followed, and head coach Mike Brown was fired in late December. Sacramento also traded De’Aaron Fox in February, leaving the rotation without a proven point guard. The next lead executive will need to figure out how to build a roster with $114 million in salary going to the trio of Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan and Domantas Sabonis. They must also address the head coaching situation, as Doug Christie was named interim coach after Brown’s firing.

The Knicks and Wizards are reportedly interested in nabbing Jaden Ivey, while the Pacers and Spurs would select Keegan Murray if they can trade up. Teams are also assuming that the Kings will select Murray if a trade isn’t made. Sacramento could receive heavy interest in their pick if the top three doesn’t go Jabari Smith, Chet Holmgren, Paolo Banchero as presumed.

After moving up in the lottery to be able to pick 4th, a trade out lines up more with the moves they made at the deadline. After suffering through everything from mediocre to abysmal since they last made the postseason in 2006, the Kings traded for Domantas Sabonis at the trade deadline. Pairing him with De’Aaron Fox and another stud if they trade this pick could help propel Sacramento into at least play-in contention.

After all NBA summer leagues were canceled last season due to COVID-19, those events will be back this summer. The California Classic, a tune-up of sorts for the Vegas Summer League, will consist of the Kings, Lakers, Warriors and Miami Heat.

McNair makes his way to Sacramento after spending 13 seasons with the Rockets organization, serving as Daryl Morey’s second in command for the last two. Prior to his stint as assistant GM, McNair presided over the Rockets’ analytics department. He’ll now be calling the shots in Sacramento, serving as the the team’s top basketball executive. Among the biggest issues that McNair will need to address is the shooting guard position, as Bogdan Bogdanovic will be a free agent this offseason. The Kings, who have not reached the postseason since 2006, also hold the 12th, 35th, 43rd and 52nd overall picks in November’s NBA Draft.