“Doug Christie will remain as the head coach of the Sacramento Kings, team sources told The Athletic,” Amick reported on Sunday. “With the Kings (22-59) falling well short of their internal expectations, and league-wide speculation that they might move on from Christie at season\u2019s end, the decision has been made to continue forward with the 55-year-old, first-time head coach.”<\/p>\n
Sources: Despite the Kings\u2019 brutal season, and amid league-wide speculation that they might make a coaching change, Doug Christie is safe.<\/p>\n
Why the Kings chose to keep him at the helm for next season, and where they go from here, at @TheAthletic<\/a> https:\/\/t.co\/gXKSPoCXbp<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Sam Amick (@sam_amick) April 12, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n After taking over as interim head coach last season when the Kings fired Mike Brown, the 2025-26 season was Christie’s first full run as the team’s leader. Of course, it has not gone to plan, with a lowly 22-59 record through 81 games, but he certainly has some valid excuses in his pocket.<\/p>\n Domantas Sabonis played just 19 games this season, Keegan Murray played 23, and Zach LaVine played 39. The injury bug certainly got the best of the Kings this season, and in Christie’s defense, he had to make do with what we had. Sure, they have been one of the league’s worst teams, but he did not have a fair shot.<\/p>\n “What\u2019s more, the rash of significant injuries to the Kings\u2019 best players \u2014 from Keegan Murray to Domantas Sabonis, Zach LaVine, DeAndre Hunter and more \u2014 made an already-challenging situation worse in the eyes of the team\u2019s decision-makers and led to the conclusion that Christie deserves more time to prove himself in the position,” Amick wrote.<\/p>\n Is this the right decision? Apr 5, 2026; Sacramento, California, USA; Sacramento Kings head coach Doug Christie during the second quarter against the LA Clippers at Golden 1 Center. | Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images<\/p>\n Regardless of what changes the Kings make this offseason, are they going to be competing for a championship next season? No, of course not. There is no reason to rush Christie out the door when they likely have another rebuild-esque season<\/a> in store. Giving Christie another shot, when he has clearly connected with his young players down the stretch, is the right decision. <\/p>\n In their last 17 games leading up to the season finale on Sunday, the Kings are an impressive 8-9. While many people around the league, and even fans of the franchise, expected the Kings to bury their heads in the sand and enter tank mode<\/a>, Christie got his players to show up every game and finish a disastrous season on a high note.<\/p>\n Sure, the front office might be upset that Christie and the Kings’ late-season success hurt their lottery position, but it could pay off. When they were on a historic 16-game losing streak<\/a>, of course, fans were pleading for Christie’s time in Sacramento to be done. However, he has turned things around, and it is right to give him another shot.<\/p>\n![\"Sacramento](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/01kp19hfcsyv1na293ve.jpg\" "\\"Sacramento")
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