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Follow Us![Kings' Mike Brown [fired] with De'Aaron Fox, Monte McNair and Vivek Ranadive](https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Sources-Inside-Kings-decision-to-fire-Mike-Brown-amid-DeAaron-Foxs-uncertain-future.jpg?w=1200)
Not too long ago, the Sacramento Kings hosted real NBA playoff games for the first time in nearly two decades in front of a sold-out crowd inside Golden 1 Center. Between the cowbells creating deafening noise and “Light the Beam” chants raining down from the rafters, Mike Brown rejuvenated an entire fanbase and made it fun to be a fan of the Kings once more. After back-to-back seasons of winning 48 and 46 games, respectively, the 2022-23 NBA Coach of the Year was fired by the organization due to the team's sluggish 13-18 start to the 2024-25 season.
The decision made by the Kings to let go of their head coach sent shockwaves throughout the NBA, as players, coaches, and agents were all shocked, as Brown was a well-respected coach in and outside of Sacramento. A five-game losing streak resulting in the Kings falling below .500 was certainly a reason to be concerned, and there was talk about changes being made to the Kings. Still, firing Brown, who had been nothing but successful since joining the franchise in 2022, was an unprecedented move that his colleagues haven't taken lightly.
“[I'm surprised] for two reasons,” Malone started when asked for his thoughts on Brown being fired. “One, because as an NBA head coach, ultimately you're going to get the blame. When they win, it's going to go to [Domantas] Sabonis and [De'Aaron] Fox. When you lose, it's gonna go to Mike Brown. That's the way it works. And two, who he works for. So I'm not surprised that Mike Brown got fired, because I got fired by the same person. And what really pissed me off about it was that they lost last night, fifth game in a row, I believe. Tough loss, fouling a jump-shooter.
“They have practice this morning, he does his postgame media, and he's in his car going to the airport to fly to L.A. And they call him on the phone. No class. No balls. That's what I'll say about that.”
Before being hired by the Nuggets in 2015 and leading them to a championship in 2023, Malone was the head coach of the Kings for the entirety of the 2013-14 season before being let go after just 24 games into the 2014-15 season.
Malone wasn't the only coach to voice his frustrations with the Kings' judgment, as Indiana Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle, Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr, and Brooklyn Nets head coach Jordi Fernandez, who was an assistant under Brown before joining the Nets before the 2024-25 season, all made similar remarks claiming that the Kings were in the wrong.
One NBA agent who represents countless players across the league kept his response brief when asked about Brown being fired, stating, “Well, they found their scapegoat, so what's next? I mean, what even went wrong for this team to rush this decision?”
Before heading to the airport to catch their flight to Los Angeles on Friday, Dec. 27, Brown and the Kings went through a full practice where the team's morale wasn't any different than it normally is, league sources told ClutchPoints. This was the day after Sacramento had lost 114-113 at home to the Detroit Pistons in a game they led by three points with just three seconds left. It was De'Aaron Fox who fouled Pistons guard Jaden Ivey as he made a three-point attempt, sinking the Kings' hopes of pulling off a much-needed win.
Brown made it a point to hold Fox accountable for fouling the shooter late in the game, and he was critical of his team, but that is to be expected given the nature of this loss and the frustrations of the team boiling over. What Brown and the players didn't know is that general manager Monte McNair and his front office were behind the scenes preparing for the ultimate change — Brown's departure.
A decision to fire Mike Brown
There was no team meeting held after this practice Friday afternoon, and once practice concluded, everyone began packing up their things to head over to the airport, Brown included. After his press conference with local media, where Brown claimed that the team was learning and healing from their mistakes, the Kings' head coach received a phone call from McNair, sources said, where he was informed that he had coached his last game on the sidelines for the organization he gave his all to over the last couple of seasons. This phone call Brown received was first reported by Sam Amick and Anthony Slater of The Athletic.
Perhaps the most important piece of information about Brown's dismissal is that none of the players knew of this decision made by McNair, assistant general manager Wes Wilcox, owner Vivek Ranadive, and a few others holding significant roles high up in the organization. Those kept out of the loop include Fox, sources said, who had seen his relationship with Brown shift since the head coach's first year in Sacramento.
While trust and respect still existed between the two, many around the league began to question small conversations between the coach and his star point guard, as well as decisions made by Brown to publicly pinpoint mistakes that Fox made in games during his press conferences. When Rich Paul of Klutch Sports, Fox's agency, met with Kings' officials about a week prior to Brown being fired, there were discussions about how the head coach was approaching things with Fox, sources told ClutchPoints. However, there was no push from Fox, nor his agency, to move on from Brown.
Fox has since made it clear on social media that he held no part in Brown's departure from Sacramento.
“There was never any pushback about anything,” Fox wrote. “This narrative of us butting heads or me going to management saying anything is bulls**t. So you can run with that if you want to.”
This decision to fire Brown came to fruition between McNair, Wilcox, and some other members of the Kings' front office before they approached Ranadive about the need to make a change on the sidelines. Due to the position McNair and Ranadive had put this team in to win right now, particularly after signing six-time All-Star DeMar DeRozan in the offseason, management and ownership were on the same page.
A level of discomfort from higher up in the organization had formed with Brown's decision-making and inability, in their eyes, to make significant changes amid their losing way to begin the season, sources said. Of course, it is not out of the realm of possibilities to believe that a disconnect still existed between Brown and the Kings' brain trust after a gap presented itself during contract negotiations this past summer. Ultimately, the Kings gave their head coach a three-year extension despite McNair's hesitance to do so.
Between distrust growing larger and the team failing to meet expectations due to repetitive mistakes made since the start of the 2024-25 season, a decision to fire Brown was given the green light that Friday following the team's gut-wrenching loss to the Pistons. How this situation was handled is simply a matter of opinion, as Brown was kept in the dark and ultimately blindsided by the Kings' decision.
Even with all the success he brought to Sacramento and after being the first coach in the team's history to be named the NBA's Coach of the Year, Brown was let go in a bothersome way to many around the league.
It was simply a phone call thanking him for his dedication and that he was no longer with the organization. Now, just over five weeks until the NBA trade deadline, major questions exist for the Kings, starting with Fox's long-term future.
Kings' future with De'Aaron Fox
Doug Christie, one of the Kings' lead assistants who was elevated to interim head coach in the wake of Brown being fired, is now the fifth different coach Fox has played for in his eighth season with the organization. A lot of change has transpired since the Kings selected Fox fifth overall in the 2017 NBA Draft, and his best years came with Brown on the sidelines. One would think the Kings would've consulted with their star player before making this change, yet the 27-year-old held no role in this decision, sources said.
Aside from a coaching change in the middle of the season holding heavy weight, Fox's future in Sacramento has been a key talking point in league circles. Even without factoring in Brown being fired and the Kings failing to meet expectations with three All-Stars on their roster, Fox had turned down an extension offer from the Kings this past offseason in hopes of receiving a supermax deal in 2025.
A decision to turn down an extension offer in Sacramento raised some eyebrows over the summer, and many began to question if this was a sign of the Kings' relationship beginning to fracture with their star guard. This wouldn't be the first instance of such a thing happening in Sacramento, as beloved big man DeMarcus Cousins also had a falling out with the organization. Funny enough, Cousins and Fox were both drafted fifth overall by the Kings out of the University of Kentucky.
At this time, Fox is focused on the 2024-25 season and finding a way to get his team out of the mud. There have been no indications that the star is seeking a trade before the Feb. 6 trade deadline, sources said, and the same can be said of the Kings, as they hold zero interest in seeing Fox leave. Ensuring Fox that he is the face of the franchise and the player they intend on building around for the foreseeable future is McNair and Ranadive's main priority, and they will do what is needed to help him and the team win.
This is why many around the NBA expect the Kings to be aggressive in their pursuit of talent before the trade deadline, possibly leveraging Kevin Huerter, Trey Lyles, 2024 first-round pick Devin Carter, and draft assets to positively change the roster. The Kings have always kept Keegan Murray out of trade discussions through the years, and it would be a surprise if the team looked to trade Sixth Man of the Year candidate Malik Monk given his strong relationship with Fox dating back to their days in college together.
It is expected that Fox will remain with the Kings through the remainder of the 2024-25 season before being given the opportunity to share his thoughts on the direction of the franchise with the front office and ownership. These conversations will be of significance, primarily with Fox only having one more year left on his contract and potentially being eligible for that supermax contract extension he is wanting.
While it is well too early to forecast a departure from Sacramento for Fox, countless scouts and front-office executives are already planning to prepare for a possible scenario. Should things continue to fall apart in Sacramento this season and the team fails to make the playoffs, Fox seeking a trade in the final year of his contract, especially if management isn't willing to meet his extension expectations, will become the biggest headline during the offseason.
The Houston, Texas, native has several suitors lined up ready to put together trade offers for him if he were to leave Sacramento. Along with the Houston Rockets and San Antonio Spurs being prime destinations for him, Fox would also draw interest from the Miami Heat and the Los Angeles Lakers, sources said. Three other teams worth mentioning for differing reasons include the Brooklyn Nets, Orlando Magic, and Golden State Warriors.
Although the Nets are rebuilding, they will enter the 2025 offseason with significant cap space. It is no secret to anyone around the league that Sean Marks and his front office will be aggressive in pursuing star-level talent to bring to Brooklyn. With Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner, the Magic are an attractive destination as a young, rising team in the Eastern Conference. Then there are the Warriors, who are bitter in-division rivals of the Kings.
It is a long shot to imagine Fox being traded to the Warriors, but his connection with Stephen Curry and Under Armour's Curry Brand is worth noting. Fox signed with Curry Brand in 2023 and recently launched his first signature shoe. The two All-Star guards have a strong relationship with one another off the court in their business ventures, which could result in Curry ultimately handing the keys to Golden State over to his brand's signature athlete. Again, this is something to think about if Fox eventually leaves Sacramento.
By firing Brown, the Kings have put themselves on the clock. Time is ticking to make decisions to better their immediate future. McNair, Wilcox, and Ranadive are ready to take the Kings in a new direction, one they hope will be filled with success and led by Fox.
