Sam Amick says the Kings have a lot of work to do this summer

The Sacramento Kings are entering a pivotal offseason after a disappointing 22-60 campaign, and according to The Athletic‘s Sam Amick, the organization’s decision-making reflects a franchise still searching for direction.

Speaking on Sactown Sports’ The Carmichael Dave Show with Jason Ross, Amick explained why head coach Doug Christie was retained despite the team’s struggles.

“It’s not surprising,” Amick said. “My understanding is, there’s an acknowledgment that the roster obviously still has a lot of work to do. Now is not the time for that decision. There was obviously enough there for them to continue, and not enough there for them to say, ‘we’ve seen enough.’”

Christie, in his first full season as head coach, went through plenty of growing pains amid a down year in which Sacramento lost several key players to injury, including Domantas Sabonis, Zach LaVine, Keegan Murray, and De’Andre Hunter.

Even without four key rotation pieces, the Kings played their best basketball of the season during the final two months, finishing the year on a 10-14 stretch.

(Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

Amick emphasized that bringing Christie back is less about full confidence in the current setup and more about the reality of where the franchise stands.

“It reflects that the plan is moving more slowly than they had hoped,” he said. “There’s much work left to do.”

While Christie earned some internal credit for managing personalities and developing younger players, Amick pushed back on the idea that the lack of drama was purely a positive sign, especially from a national media standpoint.

“There was almost no interest in this team this year,” he said bluntly. “They’re just kind of a ‘forget about them unless something goes crazy’ type of thing.”

That reality puts even more pressure on the front office, led by general manager Scott Perry, to reshape a roster that has proven difficult to move. Players like Domantas Sabonis, Zach LaVine, Malik Monk, and DeMar DeRozan are all possibilities to be on the move this summer, but it remains to be seen whether teams will be open to taking on the contracts paired with their talent.

Sacramento currently has $225 million in salary committed to their 2026-27 cap sheet, placing them in the second tax apron before any offseason moves have been made — a nightmare for a team near the bottom of the league standings.

“It’s still very challenging,” Amick said. “It’s all the same stuff. They just have to find a way to get flexibility. But it remains one of the tougher roster rebuilds in the league.”

Amick also pointed to a notable idea the Sacramento Kings have explored before—and could revisit: Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant, who was rumored to be on the trading block leading into February’s trade deadline.

(Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

“This is not a conversation that I’ve had recently, but going back to the trade deadline, the Ja Morant idea was definitely a real thing that they kicked around. So that type of stuff, they’re going to be diving right back into.”

That comment highlights Sacramento’s willingness to at least consider bold, high-upside moves as they look to accelerate their rebuild, one that will likely include a top-10 pick in June’s loaded NBA Draft.

Ultimately, Amick framed the Sacramento Kings’ offseason as one defined by uncertainty and urgency. The coaching decision buys time, but the roster must improve for the franchise to take any meaningful step forward.

Check out the full conversation at the top of the page or by heading over to the Sactown Sports YouTube channel.

Listen to The Carmichael Dave Show with Jason Ross from 6 – 10 a.m. PDT, Monday through Friday, on Sactown Sports 1140.

More Sacramento Kings content from Sactown Sports

• Precious Achiuwa: ‘Sacramento is a place that I love being’
• Russell Westbrook says he’s open to re-signing with the Kings
• NBA Draft Lottery Standings: Pencils Down
• NBA salary cap expert advises against stretching Zach LaVine’s contract

Upcoming Sacramento Kings & NBA Offseason Schedule

• Tuesday, April 14th – NBA Play-In Tournament begins
• Saturday, April 18th – NBA Playoffs begin
• Sunday, May 10th – NBA Draft Lottery
• Thursday, June 4th– NBA Finals begin
• Thursday, June 25th – NBA Draft (Round 1)
• Friday, June 26th – NBA Draft (Round 2)
• Tuesday, June 30th – NBA Free Agency negotiation period begins (3 PM PT)
• Thursday, July 9th – NBA Las Vegas Summer League begins
• Monday, July 13th – Free Agency moratorium ends / signings can become official

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