Doug Christie Reportedly 'Well-Positioned' to Keep Kings HC Job After NBA Play-In Loss

The Sacramento Kings could be sticking with interim head coach Doug Christie after moving on from former general manager Monte McNair.

The Athletic's Sam Amick reported Thursday that Christie is "well-positioned to keep the job" after the Kings' postseason ended with a 120-106 play-in loss to the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday.

Amick and Anthony Slater previously wrote for The Athletic that the Kings and McNair parted ways "less than an hour" after Wednesday's loss to the Mavericks.

ESPN's Shams Charania then reported Friday that the Kings were "finalizing a deal" to hire former New York Knicks general manager Scott Perry.

Perry "is expected to have influence on the Kings’ ultimate choice for head coach," according to Amick.

When asked shortly after the Kings parted ways with McNair if he had been given any promises about keeping his job, Christie told reporters Wednesday that he had received "none."

"But this is where I want to be. I think you guys know that. I need to finish what I started," Christie said.

Several Kings players including Domantas Sabonis and DeMar DeRozan spoke positively about Christie when asked about their interim head coach after the season-ending loss.

Christie was promoted to interim head coach following Mike Brown's firing on Dec. 27. The Kings ranked 12th in the Western Conference with a 13-18 record at the time.

Brown's dismissal reportedly contributed to the departure of De'Aaron Fox, whose decision not to sign an extension in Sacramento prior to his February trade to the San Antonio Spurs was influenced by his dislike of the Kings' frequent head coaching turnover, according to ESPN's Michael C. Wright.

The firing also reportedly added to an internal split between the organization and McNair. Amick and Slater wrote on Wednesday that McNair hadn't wanted to dismiss Brown, and that "tension also existed in recent days between McNair and the ownership group about Christie’s future."

Amick expanded on that comment when speaking on Thursday with Carmichael Dave and Jason Ross of Sactown Sports 1140 about McNair: "He didn't want Mike fired, he didn't want Doug to be the coach, he didn't want Doug to continue to be the coach."

Christie led the Kings to a 27-24 record (.529 win percentage) and a spot in the play-in tournament during his tenure as head coach. Whether Perry has a more positive view on that tenure than the one reportedly held by McNair could influence whether Christie is named permanent head coach ahead of the 2025-26 season.