The Sacramento Kings will expand their coaching staff ahead of next season and it appears they’re already exploring their options. According to Yahoo! Sports, the Kings have reached out to Los Angeles Clippers’ associate head coach Alvin Gentry about joining Michael Malone’s staff.
Malone originally came into his first season with six assistants. However, that number dropped to five when his father, long-time NBA coach Brendan Malone, unexpectedly resigned from the staff. The elder Malone’s spot was never filled following his resignation.
The Kings head coach recently told the Sacramento Bee that he plans to bring in another coach to fill the void left by his father’s departure. Gentry, a veteran with more than three decades in both the college and professional ranks, would fit Malone’s desire to add a coach with extensive experience.
“I’m not looking to hire a guy who is going to say yes to everything I say,” Malone said to the Bee. “I want a guy who is going to argue with me, challenge me, and make me the best coach Michael Malone can be, and that’s what I’m looking to do. I have not brought anybody in and started any interviews, but I have some guys in mind and we’ll start doing that probably in the next couple of weeks.”
The Kings aren’t the only team showing intrigue in Gentry. The 59-year-old coach is also receiving interest from the Golden State Warriors about joining new coach Steve Kerr’s staff. Gentry and Kerr worked together in Phoenix, where the former served as Suns head coach while the latter served as team general manager.
Gentry is also a candidate for at least two head coaching openings in the league. Yahoo! Sports also reports that he is expected to interview with the Utah Jazz, who chose not to renew former coach Tyrone Corbin’s contract after the end of the season. Gentry has also reportedly been contacted by the Cleveland Cavaliers. Like Kerr, Gentry worked with new Cavs GM David Griffin in Phoenix.
The 59-year-old Clippers associate coach has 12 years of head coaching experience in the NBA. In addition to the Suns, he’s also served as head coach for the Clippers, Detroit Pistons and Miami Heat. He enjoyed his greatest success as a head coach in Phoenix, where he amassed a 158-144 record and reached the 2010 Western Conference Finals.
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