Meet the new boss, same as the old boss…
Scott Perry played a significant role in the Sacramento Kings’ front office for a handful of months in 2017 — while Vlade Divac was still officially in charge, Perry is credited with bringing in Zach Randolph and George Hill — but left for a job with the New York Knicks (he was the bridge there between the Steve Mills and Leon Rose eras). Now Perry is coming back to Sacramento. Sam Amick at The Athletic had said Perry was the clear frontrunner for the job not long after Monty McNair was shown the door on Wednesday night, and before the player exit interviews had started on Thursday the Kings had Perry in place, as reported by Shams Charania of ESPN.
Perry is a solid, veteran NBA front office mind, someone with deep contacts around the league and one known for some smart decisions at his stops.
However, much like the hiring of Joe Dumars as the new lead executive in New Orleans, this feels like business as usual for a franchise where the biggest impediment to sustained success has been a hands-on ownership group. Perry “had a good working relationship with owner Vivek Ranadive” when he was with the team previously, Amick reports.
The Kings now enter the 2025 offseason with a roster exposed by the Mavericks as not good enough, and with a mountain of questions. Among the questions that Perry — undoubtedly with “input” from Ranadive, and his family and supporters in the organization — have to answer:
• Should Doug Christie have the interim tag removed and become the full-time head coach? League sources told NBC Sports Christie has strong supporters within the organization, add that to the fact that he went 27-24 as the head coach and he is expected to return. Despite the ugly end to the season and the questions left after Brown was fired going unanswered.
• What is this team’s on-court identity? The one built by Brown and McNair has been torn down by roster decisions. What will replace it?
• Sacramento needs a lead ball handler and shot creator. That was evident in the Play-In Tournament loss to the Mavericks, where 18 turnovers were part of the problem. With De’Aaron Fox now in San Antonio — frustrated and asking out after Mike Brown was fired as coach (something Ranadive and company are rumored to have pushed for over McNair’s wishes, despite what was said publicly) — this team needs a floor general.
• Do the Kings want to extend Zach LaVine’s contract?
• Sacramento needs wing defenders. Frankly, it needs defenders at every position.
• Can the Kings keep All-Star Domantas Sabonis happy? In the wake of the Brown firing and Fox trade, Sabonis seeks answers about the franchise’s direction and his role within it. Sabonis asking for a trade is not out of the question, and if he does ask ou,t where does that leave the Kings with players such as Malik Monk or DeMar DeRozan?
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