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3 head coach candidates for the Sacramento Kings

By Holden Walter-Warner

PORTLAND, OREGON - OCTOBER 20: Head coach Luke Walton talks with Tyrese Haliburton #0 of the Sacramento Kings during the third quarter against the Portland Trail Blazers at Moda Center on October 20, 2021 in Portland, Oregon. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
PORTLAND, OREGON - OCTOBER 20: Head coach Luke Walton talks with Tyrese Haliburton #0 of the Sacramento Kings during the third quarter against the Portland Trail Blazers at Moda Center on October 20, 2021 in Portland, Oregon. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images) /
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Sacramento Kings, Head coach
LAKE BUENA VISTA, FLORIDA – AUGUST 29: Terry Stotts of the Portland Trail Blazers looks on against the Los Angeles Lakers during the first quarter in Game Five of the Western Conference First Round during the 2020 NBA Playoffs at AdventHealth Arena at ESPN Wide World Of Sports Complex on August 29, 2020 in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /

3 head coach candidates for the Sacramento Kings: Terry Stotts

The Kings should be looking for a coach with the capability of turning a perennial lottery team into a legitimate postseason contender. Terry Stotts fits the bill.

Stotts turned a struggling Portland Trail Blazers team into a frequent contender in the Western Conference. The team badly missed the playoffs in his first season with the franchise but proceeded to make eight straight postseason appearances before he and the team mutually parted ways after last season.

Last offseason, it seemed like Stotts got a raw deal after the Trail Blazers were on the cusp of breaking through for so many years, only to have the job passed off to Chauncey Billups. But the franchise went into full tank mode this past season, giving the 64-year-old a reprieve.

Stotts has a solid history working for semi-anonymous franchises in the Western Conference, too. There are only 30 jobs, of course, but the Kings job simply doesn’t bring the same scrutiny as the open Los Angeles Lakers gig. Stotts seems to do his best work when fewer people are following his every move, such as at the beginning of Portland’s rise.

It’s hard to say if Stotts would be a long-term answer for Sacramento. He would be the best coach the Kings have had in years, but he’ll turn 65 years old towards the beginning of next season. Some coaches hang on forever, but many want to enjoy the twilight years.

Sacramento needs a grown man in charge of getting them to the next stage, though. Stotts has proven to be that each year he’s been a head coach in the league.

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