Sacramento Kings General Manager Update

“Where do the Sacramento Kings go from here?” you ask. On Wednesday night, Sacramento dropped a 120-106 decision to the Dallas Mavericks at the Golden 1 Center, despite welcoming the visiting Mavericks by playing the “My Little Pony” theme song and horse neighs. Humor-turned-agony aside, Zach LaVine’s 20 points (8-of-19 from the field and 4-of-10 from downtown), 3 rebounds, and 9 assists across 44 minutes served as a bright spot. Read on for the latest on the Kings’ General Manager (GM) position.

Sacramento Kings Part Ways With GM

Just hours after Wednesday night’s game, the Sacramento Kings parted ways with GM Monte McNair. McNair reportedly mutually agreed with the Kings following a disappointing 120- 106 loss to the Dallas Mavericks in a Play-In Tournament game. McNair’s departure arguably marked a significant change in the Kings’ franchise. The Kings initially hired McNair in 2020 to assemble a team that would end a playoff drought.

McNair ultimately helped the Kings end a 16-season playoff drought in 2023. The 2022-23 Kings went 48-34 and finished third in the Western Conference. McNair subsequently won NBA Executive of the Year in 2022-23. The Kings lost the first-round series to the Golden State Warriors in seven games that postseason, but haven’t returned to the playoffs the past two seasons.

On Thursday morning, McNair sent a heartfelt message to Kings fans on X, formerly Twitter. McNair’s message read, “Five years ago, I was given the opportunity of a lifetime. I’ll always be grateful to Vivek and the Kings organization for taking a chance on me. The Beam Team brought so much joy to so many. Thank you to the players, coaches, and staff who played a vital role in creating those special moments and memories.

To the Sacramento community, thank you for welcoming and embracing me and my family. We arrived as a family of four and left as a family of six. As a California kid, this truly felt like a dream homecoming. To Kings fans—you’re simply the best. I’ll never forget the deafening roar before Game 1 or the countless other unforgettable moments we shared. There will be many more beams in the King’s future. LTB, Monte.”

Sacramento Kings Hire New GM

The Sacramento Kings wasted little time finding — and hiring — a new GM. The Kings reportedly hired veteran NBA front office executive Scott Perry on Thursday. Perry served as the Kings’ Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations in 2017.

Perry’s previous knowledge of the Kings’ day-to-day operations can work in the team’s favor. However, Perry has a tall order this time, as the Kings finished 40-42 this season, with six fewer wins than last season and eight fewer than in 2022-23. Perry should prioritize finding a long-term head coach for the Kings while improving the Kings’ roster.

Perry has also worked for the Seattle SuperSonics (now Oklahoma City Thunder), Orlando Magic, and New York Knicks. Perry’s first stint with the Kings was short-lived because he earned an opportunity to become the Knicks’ GM, but he left Sacramento, Calif., on good terms with Kings owner Vivek Ranadive. ESPN first reported the news of Perry’s hiring, and The Athletic mentioned his name early Thursday morning as a strong possibility.

Final Thoughts

The Sacramento Kings’ shakeup isn’t the first for the team in recent years. The Kings have had several shakeups lately, and the Kings’ GM won’t be the last. The Zach LaVine trade rumors might resurface after previous comments from the new Kings GM Scott Perry, despite LaVine averaging 23.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 4.2 assists in 2024-25.

Perry’s previous comments about LaVine are arguable. LaVine’s combination of volume scoring and scoring efficiency is only matched by five players: LaVine, Nikola Jokic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Kevin Durant, and Karl-Anthony Towns. However, LaVine’s poor defense, decision-making, and crunch-time struggles held back his overall value as a player.

Perry told Hoop Genius, “No question that Zach LaVine can score the basketball…Does he impact winning? Zach LaVine has been to 1 playoff series in 9 years. He’s played a total of 4 playoff basketball games…I’m looking at $40, $43, $46 & $49 million for a guy who—to this point—has not impacted winning to the level that his money says he should impact…”

It’s safe to say LaVine will be traded again, but he’s still in his prime as a 30-year-old shooting guard. LaVine’s short- and long-term goals should be to find a better organization so he can earn a better role in the near future. LaVine can receive more trade value as his current contract nears expiration.