The Golden State Warriors may be struggling with a 3-11 record over the past 14 games, but their situation isn't as dire as in Sacramento where the Kings have fallen to a 13-18 start after five-straight losses.
The latest loss -- a 114-113 home defeat to the Detroit Pistons that finished with an extraordinary Jaden Ivey four-point game-winner -- has prompted the Kings to part ways with head coach Mike Brown as first reported by ESPN's Shams Charania on Friday.
Mike Brown's firing could allow the Warriors to reunite with the long-time assistant
While Sacramento have been one of the most disappointing teams in the league so far this season, Brown's firing is still a surprising one for many given the 54-year-old had just signed a multi-year extension with the franchise in July.
In his first year with the Kings in 2022-23, Brown catapulted the franchise up to third in the Western Conference and a first playoff appearance since 2006. They would lose in a hard-fought seven-game series to the Warriors, with Stephen Curry going for 50 points in the decider at Golden 1 Center.
Brown was the NBA's Coach of the Year in 2023, but was unable to replicate the success last season where Sacramento missed the playoffs despite a 46-36 record during the regular season. They got some revenge in beating Golden State in the initial Play-In game, before losing to the New Orleans Pelicans in the second.
While Brown won't be desperate to look for another job assuming he gets fully paid out by the Kings, this does provide an opportunity for some teams to bring in a highly-credentialed coach with extensive experience.
Perhaps that could include the Warriors who simply haven't been the same team since Brown departed the franchise to become the Kings head coach following the 2022 championship. He was an assistant under Steve Kerr for six-straight seasons in which Golden State won three titles.
During that span Brown had multiple stints as the Warriors head coach, including in the 2017 playoffs where the team went 12-0 in Kerr's absence. He became the leader of the Golden State defense and was credited for much of their success, particularly in 2021-22 where they ranked second on that end of the floor.
The Warriors already revitalized their coaching staff with the additions of Terry Stotts and Jerry Stackhouse during the offseason, so perhaps its unlikely they'd make a play for Brown so shortly afterwards. On the other hand, maybe it's the sort of drastic move the franchise needs to turn around its own recent poor form.