Doug Christie Returning as Kings Coach

Doug Christie will be back as Kings head coach for the 2026-27 season, ESPN’s Anthony Slater confirmed Sunday. Sacramento went 22-59 and missed the playoffs, but injuries hit Keegan Murray, De’Andre Hunter, Domantas Sabonis and Zach LaVine hard. Slater said the growth of rookies Maxime Raynaud, Dylan Cardwell and Nique Clifford also helped Christie keep the job. Christie has two guaranteed years on his deal, with a team option for 2027-28 that comes with a bigger salary, per The Athletic’s Sam Amick. Russell Westbrook is headed for unrestricted free agency, and Scott Perry said the Kings want to “get young as a team.” Sacramento is tied with Utah for the fourth-best odds at the No. 1 pick in the May 10 draft lottery.