"Mike Brown should never have been fired" - NBA fans react as Doug Christie signs long-term deal as HC

On Dec. 27, the Sacramento Kings parted ways with Mike Brown after a 13-18 start to the season. While some fans were confused as to why the team decided to hand the veteran coach his walking papers, others saw the writing on the wall with the Kings struggling.

After a 2024-25 season that saw the team trade De'Aaron Fox, Sacramento has signed Brown's replacement, former NBA veteran Doug Christie, to a multi-year contract.

ESPN's Shams Charania broke the news on Tuesday, indicating that Klutch Sports' Andy Miller negotiated the deal on Christie's behalf.

"The Sacramento Kings and interim coach Doug Christie are finalizing a multiyear contract to make Christie the franchise's next head coach, sources tell ESPN. Christie's agent, Andy Miller of Klutch Sports, negotiated a new deal for the Kings' full-time job this week," Charania tweeted.

The news quickly sparked a debate among NBA fans, as some questioned the move.

"Mike Brown should never have been fired," one wrote.

"I don’t see where he did a good enough job to ink this deal..they could have kept Mike brown," another said.

Others praised the Kings' decision.

"LETS GOOOOO," one fan commented.

"In Doug Christie they trust, I actually like this move," another fan wrote.

The news also led to plenty of speculation regarding Domantas Sabonis' future, as there have been rumors about him and the team potentially splitting in the offseason.

Domantas Sabonis speaks openly about Kings' biggest need after departure of Mike Brown and De'Aaron Fox

Heading into the 2024-25 season, the Sacramento Kings were eager to bounce back from their play-in loss and return to the playoffs.

After going from 2007-2023 without a postseason appearance, the team posted a 46-36 record last year, giving their fans hope that with DeMar DeRozan on the roster, they could make a run at the playoffs.

However, Sacramento not only parted ways with Mike Brown, but it also traded De'Aaron Fox. In return, the Kings reunited former Chicago Bulls teammates Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan.

The result was a 40-42 season, which saw the team come up short in the play-in tournament for the second consecutive year.

While speaking with members of the media during his final press conference of the season, Domantas Sabonis spoke about the Kings' biggest need for next season.

“The biggest thing is that we need a point guard," Sabonis said on April 18, via Yahoo Sports. "That’s for sure.”

Although there's no telling what the offseason has in store for Sacramento, it's clear that if it wants to compete, it will need to find a guard to facilitate its offense.