Gut Reaction: Kings’ Mike Brown Handed 3-Year Contract Extension

The Sacramento Kings took care of business on Friday night, handing head coach Mike Brown a new contract extension following reports that the two sides had “tabled talks”. The new deal comes after Sacramento failed to make the playoffs one year after getting bounced in the first round.

Sacramento Kings coach Mike Brown has agreed on a new contract that takes him through the 2026-2027 season, his agent Warren LeGarie tells ESPN. Brown, the 2022-2023 NBA Coach of the Year, gets a new deal with a significant raise.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 1, 2024

Brown has led the Kings to a 94-70 overall record in two years, far better than any previous Kings coach over the last 15 years. 2023’s NBA Coach of the Year will stick in Sacramento through the 2026-27 season after signing a new deal.

Kings owner Vivek Ranadive met Brown halfway after reports surfaced that Brown wanted $10 million a year on his new deal. Sacramento originally offered $7 million a year, but will now be paying Brown $8.5 million per season over the next three years. At the end of the day, it’s good business for Sacramento.

Kings coach Mike Brown gets a $4 million raise to $8.5 million on the 2024-2025 season left on his deal and then $8.5 million annually in the two new seasons on the contract, sources tell ESPN. https://t.co/CGHiFSEPAf

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 1, 2024

While it just had to be difficult, the Kings will keep one of the league’s best coaches. A historical playoff drought ended once Brown was brought into Sacramento, making this decision a near no-brainer. It was reported that the failure to repeat last season’s success “hasn’t sat well with Kings ownership” (via James Ham), but Ranadive is clearly willing to extend Brown’s stay in California.

It’s difficult to say what next season will look like, but keeping Brown is certainly the correct decision. Brown is the first Kings coach to earn an extension since Rick Adelman in the early 2000s. Adelman and Brown are the only coaches to produce winning seasons in Sacramento since the team moved there in 1985.

We know that last season was a mess, especially after falling into the play-in tournament in early April. With expectations to make a return to playoff basketball, Brown aims to lead a roster including stars such as De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis. The Kings haven’t won a playoff series since 2004, when the team defeated the Dallas Mavericks in the first round.

After signing the coach of the future, Sacramento will look ahead toward the 2024 NBA Draft and free agency. Sixth man Malik Monk is set to hit the open market but is open to staying in California for the right price. Brown and general manager Monte McNair have a lot on their plate heading into the summer.

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