Kings, GM Monte McNair agree to extension

The Kings and general manager Monte McNair have reached an agreement on a contract extension, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.

Sacramento is also finalizing a new contract for assistant GM Wes Wilcox, Wojnarowski adds.

Marc Stein reported in December that there was a growing expectation in NBA circles that McNair, who was in the final year of his contract, would sign an extension as soon as January, and now that has come to fruition.

“I’ll just say my family loves it in Sacramento and we’re very happy with how things are going,” McNair told Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee last month. “We’re just focused on winning and continuing to keep this thing growing.”

At 27-19, the Kings are currently the West’s No. 3 seed and are in a strong position to snap their 16-year playoff drought, which is an NBA record. The McNair-led front office drafted and then later traded rising point guard Tyrese Haliburton to Indiana for All-Star center Domantas Sabonis, and selected guard Davion Mitchell in the 2021 draft.

In the 2022 offseason, the Kings drafted forward Keegan Murray, who has made an immediate impact, traded for sharpshooter Kevin Huerter and added sixth man Malik Monk in free agency. The franchise also hired head coach Mike Brown, who has helped change the culture of the previously dysfunctional organization.