Speaking about his contract, Malik Monk’s free agency, and staff changes, Kings coach Mike Brown
Kings coach Mike Brown discussed some hot topics during his exit interview Wednesday at the team’s Golden 1 Center practice facility.
Brown talked about his contract situation, Malik Monk’s pending free agency and what could have been for a team that failed to reach the playoffs a year after earning the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference.
Brown’s contract situation has become a focal point in the days since the Kings suffered a season-ending 105-98 loss to the New Orleans Pelicans in a play-in elimination game Friday at Smoothie King Center.
The Kings signed Brown to a four-year contract when they hired him in the summer of 2022. According to The Athletic, the final year of the deal is a mutual option, making next season the final guaranteed year of the contract. Brown is reportedly seeking an extension at his market rate, which could come in over $10 million per year after Steve Kerr ($17.5 million), Gregg Popovich ($16 million) and Monty Williams ($13 million) signed lucrative new deals over the past year.
Brown downplayed his contract situation when asked if it was “top of mind” as he enters the summer following his second season in Sacramento.
“It’s not, really, at the end of the day,” Brown said. “I have one year left on my deal. Everybody knows that, but I’m excited about being here. I’m excited about our future, so I’m going to go into this summer trying to figure out how we can be better next year.”
Brown is a two-time Coach of the Year who became the first unanimous winner of the award last season after the Kings won 48 games to end the longest playoff drought in NBA history after 16 consecutive losing seasons. Sacramento’s offense slipped to No. 13 after recording the highest offensive rating in NBA history last season — a point of consternation for general manager Monte McNair — but the Kings improved from No. 24 to No. 14 in defensive rating, answering Brown’s season-long call for physicality and toughness.
The Kings nearly matched last year’s win total with a 46-36 record this season, but they fell from third to ninth in a much tougher conference with the Oklahoma City Thunder and Minnesota Timberwolves becoming contenders in the West. Next season is likely to be even more challenging. The Houston Rockets and San Antonio Spurs are poised to become playoff contenders and the Memphis Grizzlies should return to form after being decimated by injuries this season.
The Kings went 17-11 against the top seven teams in the West, but they were 13-11 against the other seven teams. They also squandered several games against inferior opponents such as the Charlotte Hornets, Detroit Pistons, Portland Trail Blazers and Washington Wizards.
Brown said learning to handle pressure and expectations is part of the process for this Kings team.
