The biggest off-season Kings news happened in July and had nothing to do with the Kings. This was rare for an NBA team that controls its destiny by driving off cliffs.
The news concerned Mike Brown, the coach fired by the Kings at Christmas. The dismissal was a gift for Brown, whose poorest career decision came in 2022 when he agreed to coach the Kings.
There was no doubt Brown would quickly resurface after he was shoved out by Kings lead owner Vivek Ranadive. The question was where Brown would land.
His destination was a good one—the city that never sleeps. Today Brown is head coach of the New York Knicks. Many basketball people predict the Knicks will outperform the Kings this season.
Chances are most teams will win more games than the Kings. Brown’s exit triggered a makeover that left Doug Christie as head coach with a roster in shambles. The Kings are a squad of mismatched, aging talent.
In other words, fans will pay to watch a rebuilding project, an airplane under construction during flight.
Without draft picks this summer, the Kings made trades to sneak into the first and second draft rounds. From Colorado State comes Nique Clifford, a 6-foot-6 guard who rarely sees a shot worth passing up. From France via Stanford arrives Maxime Raynaud, a 7-1 giant with slow feet.
Neither Clifford nor Raynaud have histories with defense, suggesting the Kings will spend another year trying to outrun and outgun opponents, hoping for TikTok highlights. Winning is beside the point.
Point guard is always a worrisome place for the Kings, especially in a league where good teams have several players with skill and speed to handle the ball and set the offense.
The Kings made an interesting move at point guard. They traded for Dennis Schroder, 32, a guy on track to wear the uniforms of every team in pro basketball.
Born in Germany, Schroder played for two clubs in his homeland. This season, he’s on his 10th NBA team. Technically, his resume includes 11 NBA squads. He worked for the Los Angeles Lakers twice.
Schroder is an opinionated voice in the locker room. He has bounced around the NBA for 13 years and holds strong views. After the Dallas Mavericks traded Luka Doncic to the Lakers last season, Schroder said the move reflects the league’s hypocrisy and embrace of indentured servitude.
“It’s modern slavery at the end of the day,” Schroder said. “Everybody can decide where you’re going, even if you have a contract.”
He added, “I think everybody who’s in here is blessed. But if you really think about it, it’s kind of crazy that the organization can tell you, ‘We want you to be team-first, but you’re going over there.’”
With 10 or 11 NBA uniforms in his suitcase, the man speaks from experience.
Basketball has evolved since the 1980s, when I started covering the Kings. But a willingness to play defense is still important for teams hoping to advance in the playoffs.
Yet winning playoff games puts too much pressure on the Kings. Here’s a club that considers itself successful for reaching the playoffs.
On those rare occasions when they make the playoffs, the Kings pat themselves on the back after a first-round elimination. They vow to try harder next season.
In this environment, the Kings maintain a ghostly presence in the NBA. They are in the league but not really of it. Few outside the Sacramento Valley care about the Kings.
In 1949, when the NBA was formed in New York City, the Kings were present, calling themselves the Rochester Royals. They won championship in 1951. It’s been downhill since.
When New York hired Mike Brown, a reporter brought up the Kings. Brown said, “I don’t want to get into it. That’s behind me.”
R.E. Graswich can be reached at regraswich@icloud.com. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram: @insidesacramento.
