The Sacramento Kings will elevate Doug Christie to interim head coach following the firing of Mike Brown. Christie has been an assistant coach with the Kings since 21-22. Christie also played for the Kings for five seasons.
Christie was also a broadcaster for the Kings over several seasons.
The Sacramento Kings have parted ways with Mike Brown as head coach. Brown was in his third season with the Kings and was Coach of the Year in his first season back in 22-23. The Kings signed Brown to a multi-year extension during the 2024 offseason.
The Kings are struggling this season with a 13-18 record and the team is on a five-game losing streak after losing a 14-point fourth quarter lead on Thursday. De’Aaron Fox’s future with the Kings has also come under question amid the team’s struggles. Brown ran the Kings’ practice on Friday and spoke to the media. The firing came a few minutes before the Kings’ plane departed for Los Angeles.
The Kings returned to the playoffs in Brown’s first season with a 48-34 record. Sacramento lost to the Golden State Warriors in the first round of the playoffs in seven games that season.
Last season, the Kings were in the play-in and beat the Warriors in their first game before losing to the New Orleans Pelicans for the final playoff berth.
Brown was hired by the Kings after a lengthy stint as an assistant coach under Steve Kerr with the Warriors. Brown was previously head coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers two separate times as well as just over one season with the Los Angeles Lakers.
Jimmy Butler was expected to rejoin the Miami Heat in Orlando for its Friday afternoon flight to Atlanta ahead of Saturday’s game against the Atlanta Hawks, but did not join the team. Butler remains in Miami and doing his “return to competition reconditioning” after missing time with a stomach illness.
Butler’s status for the upcoming games against the Hawks and Houston Rockets remains up in the air. Butler has already missed eight of the Heat’s first 28 games this season. Miami is 4-4 in those games. Butler has averaged 18.5 points, 5.8 rebounds, 4.9 assists and 1.3 steals per game while shooting a career-best 55.2 percent from the field in 20 games this season.
On Thursday, Pat Riley released a statement that the Heat were not going to trade Butler after it was reported he preferred to be moved by the Feb. 6 trade deadline. Butler’s relationship with the Heat has become strained in recent months.
