There were many questions surrounding the Sacramento Kings recent search for a new head coach, but one of the lingering questions after the hiring of Mike Brown was whether or not Kings GM Monte McNair would receive any sort of extension. Now, in his latest news and notes update for The Athletic, Sam Amick has answered that question. Amick confirmed the common belief that this upcoming season is the last year of McNair’s contract, and reports that at this time there has been no discussion of an extension.
Though Brown signed a four-year deal, sources say Kings GM Monte McNair is entering the final season of his contract and there have been no talks about a possible extension.
Amick also notes that McNair’s status was a point of concern for some coaching candidates as well.
Sources say McNair’s status was a focal point for many of the coaching candidates during the process, with some having concerns about the lack of contractual commitment to the front office and what it might mean for their (would-be) partnership.
With all of that in mind, there’s still the question of whether or not extending McNair is the right thing to do.
The argument in favor of extending McNair is stability, but we’ve seen the folly of that argument before. Luke Walton was kept last offseason in the name of stability, only to be fired after 17 games. Had McNair replaced Walton last summer, he would already be a year into his new coach’s tenure and the issue of his contract wouldn’t have been a concern for any candidates. We also saw the Kings give an extension to Vlade Divac to line up with Luke Walton’s contract, with no positive results to come from it.
The other big argument in favor of an extension, as Sam Amick alludes to, is that contract pressure could encourage McNair to sacrifice the franchise’s future in favor of win-now moves, but an argument can be made that this has already been happening. McNair has made some solid draft picks with his first round choices, and has made some solid smaller trades like the Bagley deal. The jury is still out on the Sabonis trade, but it was a trade meant to bolster the team now even if it sacrificed long-term team control.
In the end, this controversy exists because the Kings consistently repeat their past mistakes. The calling card of the Vivek Ranadivé era in Sacramento has been saddling GMs with coaches that they didn’t pick, then letting the GM pick a coach, and then replacing that GM before the coach’s contract is up. Regardless of whether McNair gets an extension or not, the pattern is likely to continue unless McNair achieves the organizational mandate of making the playoffs, because even with an extension there’s no way McNair will be around in four years if the Kings aren’t winning.
Monte absolutely deserves an extension. Dude has done a solid job so far.
Kept Walton too long. Kept the Vlade core too long. Is now under pressure to win, has a roster full of holes and no cap flexibility to fix it.
He helped create the crunch. Why reward him for it?
That is not accountability.
This roster is in a significantly better position than it was 3 years ago, and Monte has shown himself to be a good judge of draft talent and a patient manager whose patience is rewarded (see: Sabonis, Domantas). The best word I can think of to describe McNair’s tenure so far is “competent.” He’s made no big mistakes, had multiple minor victories (getting anything for Bagley, offloading Hield in the Hali trade, acquiring Lyles, re-signing Holmes to what was universally considered a reasonable-to-good deal), and made one super-big move with promising early returns. He is far from perfect, but he has earned an extension, especially by Kangz standards.
I stopped reading after “by Kangz standards.”
Your eyes still work!
LOL, because he hasn’t fucked up or done anything flashy like previous GM’s, he must be a keeper, eh?
He’s like the Kosta Kufos of GMs.
Vlade got an extension after drafting Bagley, so by using that metric McNair drafted Hali and Mitchell he should therefore be made the freaking commissioner of all professional sports. McGenius…am I doing this correctly?
Can you expand on that? I want to know more about how you reach that conclusion.
Pre McNair
18/19 – .476
19/20 – .431
McNair
20/21 – .431
21/22 – .366
There has been no improvement under Monte McNair using the bottom line metric.
Which is why we should always look at multiple metrics. Unlike his predecessor, Monte clearly has A System–a consistent, measured way of operating and making decisions, one rooted in both analytics and judgement. This system clearly is based on patience–moving deliberately, avoiding sudden moves and big unforced errors. The front office is more reliable and steady than it has been since Petrie departed. (The hiring of Mike Brown speaks to this desire for reliability and steadiness– not the flashy hire, but an eminently sensible one.)
The Kangz have needed to do far more than win more basketball games to regain their long-lost status as a legitimately solid, respectable NBA organization. They need to nail down a consistent, reliable process of going about their daily basis. It seems to me that McNair is slowly but surely helping the team do this. I’m by no means a fan of all of McNair’s roster moves, and you’re absolutely right that winning is ultimately the most important metric, but he’s a steady hand at the wheel who can see the road and steer this clown-car back inside the lines.
/Nods
/continued nodding
/chiropractor visit over; result of nodding
Well put AN.
That’s how bad Luke Walton is as a HC.
Meh, give him all the rope he needs to reach whatever silly mandate comes from the silly little man. If he makes the playoffs or improves this team dramatically, then consider the extension this time next year. No real need to make that decision right now. The coach has been hired and the die is cast.
It’s up to Monte at this point if he is worthy of an extension in the next 12 months. Give him the draft, summer, and trade deadline. Let him earn it or lose it.
Don’t you mean:
😉
Give him an extension if the team shows notable improvement this season but I can’t help but laugh we’re going to be in the coach before gm cycle again if he’s let go.
Why, does it matter?
Monte was hired to help the Kings win now (since 2 years ago), and he has been worse then the previous GM. He signed Fox to max contract a year before he needed to, and when he went to trade him (rumore mill) he had the max contract and couldn’t trade him. He had to trade the more valuable piece due to his bad decision.
I mean seriously, why do so many people think he has done anything positive? I didn’t even mention keeping Walton when everyone already knew he was a failure, wasted a year with a lame duck head coach.
Yes, he did sign Fox “before he needed to”; however, if he hadn’t that entire season would’ve been consumed with “IS FOX STAYING?? IS HE UNHAPPY??” chatter, it could’ve (probably would’ve) poisoned Fox’s relationship with the team and the locker room as a whole, and he could have walked in free agency to another squad. People can say “well, he had a contract already, and he should honor it and not complain!” all they want, but that’s not the way it works in the NBA. No player wants to be a lame duck, and if you treat your best player like a lame duck, they’re going to be mad and look for greener pastures. Re-signing Fox was almost universally seen as the right, reasonable decision. It was.
Fox would have been a RFA and Kings could not lose him and match any offer . ( would save about 50 million and be closer to actual value ). Huge error and likely cost Hali . The same media and fans demanded Suns give Ayton max deal . They made smart choice not McNair .
Have you seen Fox after signing that extension?
Plenty of moments where I thought: IS FOX UNHAPPY?
But I guess a few meaningless games and one big hug with Sabonis cures all.
Vivek’s puppet?
This organization is hot garbage
Get fat paychecks from the Kings.
Work in Basketball Hell.
Get fired by Kings which could be considered a favor.
Have big bank account courtesy of the Kings.
Retire or wait a while to find a new job.
Not so bad for Monte.
Who’s firing the GM?
Who’s hiring the next GM?
(notice, nothing there has changed. The same decision who hired him will be the same decision who would fire him and is the same decision maker who will hire the next GM)
Alvin Gentry
Dear McNair,
extension or not, please don’t miss out on David Roddy on your late picks.
Sonny
If Vivek does not plan on giving Monte an extension, why even let him fire Gentry in the first place and have him pick the next coach? Now we’re back to square 1 where a GM is forced to work with a coach he didn’t hire.
What a genius this Vivek guy is. #KANGZ
What evidence is there that he hired this coach ? Media leaks and speculation means nothing .
Should Monte McNair get a new extension? Yes. Will he? Probably not.
Let’s recap this topic because it never gets debated around here, ever.
McNair has done the following :
UPON ACCEPTING THE JOB:
– Sign De’Aaron Fox to a max rookie extension
– Keep Walton for at least a year and more likely the beginning of a 2nd season
– Figure out what to do with Bogdan Bogdanovic who is impending RFA
– Figure out a solution with Buddy Hield
– Figure out a solution with Harrison Barnes
– The main assets were Fox in trade (without the extension), and draft picks in the coming years
SINCE TAKING THE JOB:
2020 offseason:
– Drafted Tyrese Haliburton with 1:12 pick, traded 2:35 pick (Xavier Tillman) for 2:40 (Robert Woodard) and 2:43 (Jahm’ius Ramsey)
– Let Bogdanovich go in RFA instead of matching Atlanta offer sheet; also rumored to have turned down Tony Snell, plus 2 likely 1st rounders in S&T with Atlanta and had supposed trade in principle with Milwaukee for Dante DiVicenzo
– Picked up team option on Nemanja Bjelica
– Signed Glenn Robinson III to vet minimum
– Signed Hassan Whiteside to vet minimum (although I’ve heard this was Ranadive’s call according to James Ham)
– Signed Chimezie Metu to a Two Way Contract (TWC)
In season/Trade Deadline 2021:
– Signed Damian Jones to a 10 day contract, then a 2 year deal after the 2 10 day’s were up
– Traded Nemanja Bjelica for Mo Harkless and Chris Silva
– Traded Cory Joseph plus a 2021 2nd rd (Luka Garza) and 2024 2nd rd pick for Delon Wright
– Traded Terence Davis for a 2021 2nd rd pick (Dalano Blanton)
– Waived Jabari Parker
2021 Off-season
– Failed Buddy Hield trade to Lakers for Kyle Kuzma and Montrezl Harrell
– Drafted (and signed) Davion Mitchell at 1:9 and Neemius Queta at 2:39
– Signed Queta to a TWC instead of a standard two year deal for 2nd rd picks
– Traded Delon Wright for Tristan Thompson
– Signed Alex Len in FA to a 2 year 7.6M deal
– Signed Richaun Holmes to a 4 year 46M deal with 15% trade kicker and player option in 4th year
– Re-signed Mo Harkless to a 2 year 8.8M deal
2022 trade deadline:
– Traded Tyrese Haliburton, Buddy Hield and Tristan Thompson for Domantas Sabonis, Jeremy Lamb and Justin Holiday
– Traded Marvin Bagley for Dante DiVicenzo , Josh Jackson and Trey Lyles (as part of 4 team trade)
– Waived Woodard and Ramsey
***
What sticks out to me, personally, is just how little money has been spent overall. Outside of Fox, the biggest money deal McNair has handed out has been Holmes’deal which is quite reasonable IMO. Holmes had a horrible season, no doubt, but he is still tradeable IMO.
He’s also made a habit of acquiring players that other teams hesitate to touch for one reason or another. Undervalued assets one might call it. Kept Holmes instead of selling low at the deadline. Acquired Wright, Davis and Harkless for very little.
The Bogi deal I get so many are frustrated with, but I agree with the decision. The Kings should have not tied up their flexibility by keeping Bogi at 18M AAV (and more if he gets traded and that 15% trade kicker gets applied). And what guarantee is there you get anything worthwhile for Bogi in trade?
I’m not arguing the Domas-Rese deal again. The only point I’ll mention here is that if you don’t think De’Aaron isn’t worth a rookie max extension, there’s no way in hell your convincing me Tyrese would be worth thst type of extension at this point.
Moving Bagley to get Lyles team option and DiVicenzo’s 25 games and RFA rights is smart. It’s certainly better than trying to convince DDV and his camp to come to Sac instead of having some familiarity and RFA. All for Marvin Bagley, a guy whom you would have traded for more valuable players like Saddiq Bey?
Do all of these moves speak perfection? No. Wouldn’t claim that in the best of times let alone whatever these times qualify as. But synergy and continuity are important. And I think the biggest argument in McNair’s favor is that he’s willing to make the moves he deems are right. He isn’t swayed by public pressure to make a move. If you align McNair’s contract with Brown’s, you have the opportunity to give yourself both continuity and synergy. Something that has been missing for 20 years. And perhaps give McNair that room he needs to make that right next move.
Do I expect McNair to be extended? I’m not sure. Part of me thinks yes, most of me really thinks no. But I definitely think it should given the circumstances he’s operated under.
And so it goes.
Guru has the facts laid out. I agree with everything in this post, including his conclusion on the tyrese/domas trade. Monte has been refreshingly competent since he’s been here. Not a superstar, but competent. I am not used to seeing competent in this franchise, so I vote to extend the guy!
He keeps drafting the guys I want to draft when we’re on the clock (including Davion!) and making trades I like (including Domas!)….so I want to keep him in charge!
Are you trying to compete with those that contribute the articles based on word count?
No, because if word count were the only thing that mattered, they all would have lost a decade ago.
For a decade they write articles and you drone on……
They made their point.
Clearly, concisely, and coherent as well.
You got me sparky. Ima just a mouthy twat jealous of the FP writers and my revenge is writing unnecessarily long comments.
OTOH, I have a fan club so I’ve got that going for me which is nice.
At least you said something here.
In summary: without superstars it really doesn’t matter.
That’s your opinion. Not mine.
It depends on what as a basketball fan you would like to see. Give me a team of players like Davion and Donte, people who lay it on the court every night, who contest every opponent possession, share the ball on offense, make the right play. I would enjoy watching that team.
True, coherent, and brief.
McNair is the least terrible GM that Vivek has hired, he absolutely deserves an extension.
That is true, so extension it is . I do not think he is the problem or solution . Very sorry to feel this way.😥
I don’t think McNair would take it, but I would do a 2 year extension to see his tenure line up a little more with Coach Brown’s. Like other’s have said, McNair hasn’t been exceptional but more like decently solid, and at least it looks like something is being built so maybe we should finally see how a GM/Coach combo should actually work
He hasn’t really done anything to distinguish himself but after Vlade he looks pretty good. This franchise really needs to tear it down and rebuild. If you look around the league at the smaller market teams and mid market teams, the competent ones have done it through the draft. We need to move Barnes, Fox, Sabonis, and Holmes for all the draft picks and cap space we can get and build from there recognizing it will take multiple years to build a sustainable winning program. Follow the Memphis model where they built a young exciting roster through the draft. We keep talking about adding free agents like Portis and Monk who will not make the franchise appreciably better. Those are guys for teams who are a piece or two away from seriously contending. This roster needs so much and really needs high end talent. There’s no team in the NBA right now still playing without high end talent like a top 15 player complemented with top 30 talent. The only way the Kings will get that is through the draft and you have to create several spins at the wheel.
So trade Sabonis to Portland for this years first, next years first and Josh Hart and a salary filler. Trade Barnes to the Warriors for Wiggins and Moody. Find a place to move Fox for a couple of firsts and serviceable salary fillers. I used to like Fox to Boston for Pritchard, Nesmith, 2023 first and Horford but that’s not there anymore but I’d be looking for similar offers.
Whoever can build a young exciting team with a plan like that is who I support. If McNair feels that’s the way to go, I support him but there are no win now moves out there to make us a serious sustainable contender with chips we have available to trade. Yeah our first round draft picks are attractive but not enough to bring in high end talent, the kings are going to have to grow it through the draft. It nots going to happen paying two players max contracts who are not even top 35 players and that’s the present route unfortunately.
I have completely given up on hoping this happens, it’s been too many years of shouting it from the rooftops, falling on deaf ears.
I’ve completely accepted they’ll flip their picks or recent picks for good-not-great players who will leave in two years anyway.
It’s what they do.
I think you are correct and this ineptitude will continue.
Azz Backwardz, the Kangz way. I see it now. Kings win 36 games. Monte gets fired. Brown is still on board. A GM search ensues for anyone with a pulse that wants 2 extra years of PTO.
The new GM is stuck with Brown another year, Brown is fired in year 2. 2 years vacation coming up.
Team doesn’t have enough talent or depth to compete in a loaded, loaded healthy Western Conference.
The Kings only hope for the future at this point is to luck out with a Top 3 pick this year. The Kings will be mentioned in numerous rumors of trading the pick, other trades, and free agency. Like, every year.
Nugs, Clips, Pels, Dubs, Grizz, Wolves, and Mavs will be running it right back.
That leaves 8-10.
The 5 Teams maybe, (We have to get through FA and trade Summer first) fighting for those last 3:
Utah: Uncertainty with the Mitchell/Gobert dynamic. Coaching uncertainty.
Blazers: Blazers: If the keep Simons and Lillard. Add one more piece. All of sudden, this is a playoff team again.
Suns: Will they sign Ayton? Is CP3 on the last legs? Suns have some issues.
Lakers: See above. Probably rolling back the Big 3. If Healthy(Possible, not probable)
Kings: Fox will have to elevate his game to another level at game 1. That really is the Key.
I think that’s a pretty accurate analysis and I did say previously that if you luck out and can get Jabari Smith, that might change the equation a bit. I’d still tear it down and build around him but if you think he can contribute immediately you might have a case for a different path.
Dude came into the season last year with a totally imbalanced and incomplete roster, everyone saw it, and yet he was surprised with results when he shouldn’t have been. Sabonehead trade will be a disaster, dude is dunzo. The Brown hire might actually be better than I initially thought but get me someone better than Monte ASAP.
The question asked is the hardest to answer in the whole shit salad that this organization is. Reason being…none of us and I mean no one besides Monte and the little chap and maybe like two others actually know who’s responsible for what moves. Yes Monte’s name is on those receipts but as we all recently got a reminder the 🤙🏼 can’t keep well enough away from basketball decisions.
I personally think Monte is gone after this season because the leaks had to have pissed 🤙🏼 off.
I’m fine with Monte not getting the extension. Let’s see how this upcoming season plays out. He can get annual extensions if warranted until he either gets let go or does such a good job that a multi year extension has been earned. I think some here make too much about GM/head coach contracts lining up.
This is the put up or shut up season for Monte imo. This offseason through trade deadline is his last chance to show some meaningful progress. With that said, at this moment I still lean towards giving him an extension.
Some highlights:
Resigned Holmes on a decent deal
Resigned Fox
CoJo for Delon
Bagley for DD
Drafted Hali and Mitchell
Buddy and Hali for Sabonis and Lyles
2nd rders for TD
Hired Mike Brown
What these moves tell me is that he is a reliable talent evaluator, he doesn’t get flustered by fans or media hype and simply makes the moves he thinks bring value to the team. We are a bad team which means we 1. Need to make the most of our draft picks and 2. Need to make the most of our meager assets. The jury is still out on the Sabonis trade, but to my mind he has consistently gotten good returns in all of his moves. Maybe he hasn’t turned the franchise around in two years, but it would seem to me that slowly but consistently improving your team’s assets will put us on the right track in the long run. These moves speak of competence, competence in a world where Vivek is constantly lingering over your shoulder screaming at you to do the wrong thing. That’s the kind of steady hand I want on the wheel.
The record has not improved . Seems the most important way to evaluate but it appears he gets a pass for being Not Vlade . If Kings are still 11th or 12th next season how good is he really ?
Question is irrelevant since new coach was already hired. The time to cut bait on Monte was a month ago. Of course he needs to get extended, otherwise the next GM will come in with a coach already in place on a long term contract. That would just be stupid…. oh wait.
I beleve he should get one, yes. If you truly feel like he shouldn’t get one, he should have been fired after this season, hire another new GM and have that GM pick his guy for coach. If you’re going to have your GM pick your coach, give him the contract to match, and like a normal franchise would.
To me, Monte has been a pretty normal GM. Some big hits, some misses, nothing that’s hurt the franchise. I’d be totally fine with him getting an extension.
Badge Legend