The struggling Sacramento Kings finally made a move, but it wasn't one that had been expected. Instead of trading star De'Aaron Fox, they decided to fire coach Mike Brown. Brown's surprise firing signals big changes for the Kings, who are just 13-18 and rank 12th in the Western Conference.
After coaching them to their first playoff appearance in 16 seasons, Brown failed to get them back to the playoffs last season, and they looked well on their way to missing the postseason or even the play-in tournament this year.
Former Kings guard Doug Christie will fill in in the meantime as head coach until they find a long-term replacement, but there are plenty of big questions left following Brown's firing. Specifically the future of Fox, whose name keeps coming up on the trade market with teams such as the San Antonio Spurs, Houston Rockets, and Los Angeles Lakers, are all interested in acquiring him.
With the Kings no longer having a long-term head coach in place, their season outlook looks much different. While that doesn't necessarily mean that they will trade Fox, it seemingly increases the chances that they would consider it.
After all, he would be the top player on the trade market, should they make him available, and they could potentially reap the benefits of a bidding war for their best player. Be that as it may, they would still have Domontas Sabonis, who is 27 years old and not quite young enough to rebuild around. Then there is DeMar DeRozan, who is 35 years old and in the first year of a 3-year, $81 million contract with the Kings.
They will have to decide what to do with him should they move on from Fox. Worse yet, they gave up a 2031 first-round pick swap to the Spurs, which could end up being a great selection, though they could get that one back should they trade Fox to San Antonio.
Does Mike Brown's firing signal a Sacramento Kings fire sale?
In the short term, the answer is probably no. While the Kings are rumored to be pursuing an upgrade such as Kyle Kuzma from the Washington Wizards, their doing so with the uncertainty surrounding their team seems like a big mistake. The other option would be for them to play out this season and see how they finish.
Then missing the playoffs would allow them to keep their first-round pick out of the hands of the Atlanta Hawks and give them a lottery pick. That selection may not be enough to get them back in the playoff mix next season.
But it would help them potentially add a key rotation player and address their roster flaws. They could also revisit a potential Fox trade in the summer when teams will have more flexibility to make a big trade than they do now.