Image Source: X
[Saba Sports News] The Sacramento Kings’ decision to part ways with general manager Monte McNair after Wednesday’s play-in loss to the Dallas Mavericks appears to have been building for some time.
According to Sam Amick and Anthony Slater of The Athletic, tensions had been simmering between McNair and team owner Vivek Ranadive.
Several major moves made over the past year reportedly came from Ranadive, not McNair, leading to a growing disconnect within the front office.
McNair was said to be against the midseason firing of head coach Mike Brown but was ultimately overruled. He also reportedly lacked enthusiasm for signing DeMar DeRozan last offseason and wasn’t on board with trading for Zach LaVine during the season.
The situation seemed destined to escalate again this summer, as Ranadive is believed to favor making interim coach Doug Christie the permanent head coach — a decision McNair likely wouldn’t have had full control over.
The writing was on the wall, and now reports suggest the Kings plan to bring in veteran NBA executive Scott Perry as McNair’s replacement. Perry previously had a stint with Sacramento in 2017.
Ranadive, who bought the team in 2013, initially drew criticism for being overly involved in basketball operations. While his hands-on approach had cooled during the team’s more recent success, it appears he’s once again exerting strong influence — with mixed results.
The handling of Brown’s firing, in particular, was heavily scrutinized across the league.