Sacramento Kings coach Doug Christie was also hired after a 22-win season after posting a .368 winning percentage in 134 career games. This decision may be related to the cheap price Sacramento is paying for its head coach.
According to Sam Amick of The Athletic, Christie is considered the lowest-paid head coach in the NBA, with an average annual salary of $2 million.
For comparison, Steve Kerr is currently the highest-paid NBA coach with $17.5 million and Erik Spoelstra makes about $15 million per season with the Miami Heat. The going rate is often between $8 to $10 million per year, as evidenced by Taylor Jenkins receiving a $10 million salary this offseason to become the head coach of the Milwaukee Bucks.
Since taking over as head coach of the Kings in the middle of the 2024–25 NBA season, Christie has one of the worst win totals (49) among active NBA head coaches.
With the Kings currently projected to be above the NBA's luxury tax line for the 2026-27 season, it wouldn't be surprising to see owner Vivek Ranadive cut costs elsewhere. While Christie has not proven himself to be an NBA-caliber coach, he has shown loyalty to the franchise and appears to be the most cost-effective option for a rebuilding team.
However, there is a long-term risk here. As we're seeing with the Portland Trail Blazers under new owner Tom Dundon, making money with coaches can damage a franchise's reputation.
While there are top-tier assistant coaches who make more than $1 million per season, Christie's salary clearly indicates that the Kings are unwilling to make significant investments in their coaching staff.
