The Sacramento Kings have been one of the most dysfunctional organizations in sports for years. It appears to be getting worse and more embarrassing in another disappointing season in Sacramento.
Kings’ owner Vivek Ranadive uses group chat with the coaches and front office to frequently voice his issues with the coaching staff, per The Athletic’s Shams Charania. Ranadive is frustrated with the team’s lack of success this season and has unleashed his frustration frequently in a group chat with general manager Vlade Divac and head coach Luke Walton.
The Kings enjoyed a breakout season, by their standards, last season with a 39-43 record and tremendous growth from their young core of De’Aaron Fox, Buddy Hield and Bogdan Bogdanovic. But when the season ended, Divac fired head coach David Joerger so he could hire his friend Luke Walton. The team is now 21-32 and likely to fall well short of last season’s win total.
While Sacramento has dealt with injuries to Marvin Bagley, who Divac selected over Luka Doncic in the 2018 NBA Draft, the team can’t close games and is dealing with more problems than before. Among them, Hield could reportedly seek a trade this offseason after being moved to the bench by Walton.
Meanwhile, Ranadivce continues to involve himself in everything that goes on with the team and rants about the coaching staff with Walton in the group chat.
While the Kings are reportedly not expected to make a move during the season, tension is increasing in Sacramento. Given Ranadive’s open frustration to his staff, issues in the locker room and the team’s overall disappointment, it wouldn’t be a surprise if changes are eventually made. One thing is for certain, the dysfunction within the organization is likely to continue.