SACRAMENTO KINGS
Report: Extension for Kings GM Monte McNair expected to come in early 2023
As the Sacramento Kings continue to turn heads around the basketball world, one glaring question remains for this up-and-coming team:
Why hasn’t general manager Monte McNair received a contract extension?
McNair, who is currently in the third and final season of his contract with Sacramento, has helped construct a roster and coaching staff that has jumped out to a 16-12 start–the franchise’s best 28-game start in nearly 20 years.
After signing a deal with Sacramento in September 2020, McNair has been responsible for the team’s gradual climb toward respectability by signing De’Aaron Fox to an extension, making the bold decision to trade guard Tyrese Haliburton for All-Star center Domantas Sabonis, and hiring Coach of the Year candidate Mike Brown during his time with the organization.
That being said, as of December 19th, McNair is without an assurance that he will have a job come next summer, but it appears that Sacramento owner Vivek Ranadivé is in the process of hammering out a new deal for the general manager.
According to longtime NBA insider Marc Stein, there is a “growing expectation” that the Kings will announce an extension for McNair in the coming weeks as we move into the new year.
“There is a growing expectation around the [Sacramento Kings] organization that an extension for McNair is indeed forthcoming and likely to be announced in early 2023. The fact it hasn’t happened yet is an undeniable curiosity in league circles.”
NBA Insider Marc Stein – December 18, 2022
Around-the-league NBA notes on a Sunday … via This Week In Basketball: https://t.co/lssd3fIYpJ
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) December 18, 2022
A contract extension for McNair is deserved–quite frankly, long overdue.
There is some understanding to Ranadivé and the rest of ownership erring on the side of caution, but McNair has made solid move after solid move, and this team wouldn’t be in the position that it is currently in without his leadership.
Stability is important for winning franchises, and having your general manager, head coach, and star player locked into long-term deals is a great way to solidify an up-and-coming core.
De’Aaron Fox and Mike Brown are both under contract through the 2025-26 season. Signing McNair onto a similar timeline seems like the easy idea, but we’ll see what the Kings ownership group has in mind.
Could a Monte McNair extension announcement be on the horizon? We might have our answer following the holiday season.
