NBA Rumors: Kings to Bring Back Luke Walton Next Season
The Kings will bring head coach Luke Walton back for a third season, according to NBC Sports Bay Area's James Ham.
Walton and the Kings extended the organization's playoff drought to 15 years this season, tying an NBA record. For the second consecutive year, the team finished 31–41.
“I appreciate my working relationship with Monte and I am excited to continue on this journey," Walton told NBC Sports Bay Area. "I understand that every aspect of our team must be better, and this offseason is the time to take that next step.”
Walton still has two years remaining on his contract.
He is the sixth coach that owner Vivek Ranadivé has hired since buying the team in 2013 and the 10th since the team last made the playoffs in the '05–06 season.
Before his two seasons in Sacramento, Walton coached the Lakers for three years. In each of his three seasons with Los Angeles, the team failed to make the playoffs.
Check out the latest news and notes from around the NBA:
- Lakers guard Dennis Schröder is looking to get paid like a top-tier point guard this offseason when he hits free agency. (Jake Fischer, Bleacher Report)
- Kyle Lowry addressed his impending free agency on Tuesday, saying, in part, "Money talks, and years talk. ... At the end of the day, I want to make sure my family is taken care of for generations." (Tim Reynolds, Associated Press)
- Former Mavericks guard J.J. Barea, who just finished playing for Estudiantes in Spain this season, says he has signed with Cangrejeros de Santurce in his native Puerto Rico. (J.J. Barea)
- Bruce Brown, Alex Caruso, Talen Horton-Tucker, Norman Powell and Nerlens Noel are all players who could be in for significant raises averaging more than $12 million per season this offseason. (Jake Fischer, Bleacher Report)
- Chicago Bulls forward Al-Farouq Aminu plans to exercise the $10.2 million player option on his contract for next season. (Adrian Wojnarowski, ESPN)
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