Breaking: Kings sign general manager Monte McNair to contract extension

Winning cures all. Or at least it gets your front office new contract extensions.

A league source confirmed to The Kings Beat on Tuesday afternoon that general manager Monte McNair has finalized a new contract extension to remain in command of the upstart Kings for the foreseeable future. ESPN was first with the news and according to The Athletic's Sam Amick, the extension keeps McNair in Sacramento through the 2025-26 season.

In just two and a half years on the job, McNair has almost completely flipped the team’s roster. Only De’Aaron Fox, Harrison Barnes and Richaun Holmes remain from the 31-win squad that McNair inherited from Vlade Divac back in September of 2020.

While he took a cautious approach to building the team in his first year and a half on the job, McNair swung for the fences at the trade deadline last February, swapping Tyrese Haliburton and Buddy Hield for a package that included All-Star center Domantas Sabonis. That move has changed the direction of the franchise and put them on course to snap a 16-year playoff drought.

During the summer of 2022, McNair brought in veteran head coach Mike Brown, who has the team playing at an incredible level. Brown was allowed the leeway to hire his own staff and the early returns are impressive.

McNair added No. 4 overall pick Keegan Murray during the 2022 NBA Draft, traded for shooting guard Kevin Huerter and added Malik Monk via free agency to bolster the roster. This series of moves, along with the holdovers from the previous seasons, have turned the Kings into the feel good story of the 2022-23 season.

Under McNair’s leadership, the Kings currently sit in third place in the Western Conference with a record of 27-19, a stunning eight games over .500. He has added rotational pieces, while remaining cap flexible moving forward.

Sabonis is well on his way to a third All-Star invitation and his pairing with Fox has given the Kings one of the most dynamic duos in the game. The team currently ranks at the top of the league in offensive rating and they lead the league in points per game.

In addition to McNair, assistant GM Wes Wilcox is reportedly set to sign an extension as well. He and McNair have formed a nice partnership since joining the franchise and compliment each other well.

Wilcox spent time with the Cavs and Hawks before joining the media ranks as an analyst. In his return to the league, Wilcox has brought a bevy of experience to the table and connections all over the NBA.

McNair’s fate was a major question hanging over the franchise coming into the season. Owner Vivek Ranadivé chose a ‘wait and see’ approach to an extension and the team’s strong play warranted the move to keep the management intact.

With the NBA’s trade deadline just a little over two weeks away, McNair and Wilcox now have the peace of mind that comes with long term stability. They aren’t done building the Kings’ roster, and they have promised to remain aggressive as they look to build a long term winner in Sacramento.