Three Storylines to Watch for Before Kings Media Day

Three storylines to watch as the Sacramento Kings host their media day on Monday.

Apr 11, 2025; Sacramento, California, USA; Sacramento Kings interim head coach Doug Christie yells during the third quarter against the Los Angeles Clippers at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images | Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

With their first preseason game ten days away, we are getting dangerously close to another season of Sacramento Kings basketball. 

Before the games begin, we have Kings Media Day tomorrow. This is usually the first time the media gets to see all of the players together and can ask them about their expectations for the upcoming season, how their offseason went, and the like. With this in mind, there are a few key storylines to watch as the 2025-26 NBA season nears. 

New Point Guard in Town

The key offseason move that actually happened (sorry to those still hoping for a Kuminga sign and trade) saw the Kings address their most glaring need - adding a point guard. Sacramento added the German playmaker early this offseason, signing him to a 3-year, $45M (just over $33M guaranteed) contract. 

Fans are well within their rights to question the contract value. Comparable rotation point guards (Ty Jerome, Tre and Tyus Jones) all signed for significantly less money. However, it is indisputable that Sacramento needed a floor general of some sort. 

Schroder brings experience and veteran savvy, and it will be interesting to hear his thoughts on how the pieces in Sacramento fit together now that the offseason is all but complete. 

While there are not many noteworthy quotes from media days, Schroder may give some good insight into how he plans to adjust to being (in all likelihood) a starting point guard after spending much of the last couple seasons bouncing around as a part-time starter. 

We will also almost certainly hear about his EuroBasket run, where Schroder led Germany to a gold-medal finish and won MVP honors. As one of only six players to win MVP at EuroBasket and the FIBA World Cup, Schroder has cemented himself as one of the most accomplished international players of all time. 

Keegan Murray Extension Check-In

Jan 16, 2025; Sacramento, California, USA; Sacramento Kings forward Keegan Murray (13) dunks the ball against Houston Rockets forward Dillon Brooks (9) during the first quarter at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images | Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images

While signing Schroder is a stopgap option to address an immediate need, Sacramento has surely been negotiating with an eye toward the future, as well. Forward Keegan Murray is extension eligible, and remains eligible until the regular season begins on October 21. 

Murray’s extension has been discussed here before, and the market for his archetype is relatively well-defined. Extensions for Murray’s rookie class have been slow to develop aside from the recipients of max extensions (those are usually relatively short negotiations). 

However, Jabari Smith Jr. did sign a 5 year, $122M extension with the Houston Rockets. Smith plays a relatively similar role to Murray and is almost certainly serving as a reference point in discussions. 

Kings fans know and love the soft-spoken, understated forward, and Murray will probably be very tight-lipped about how these negotiations are going and what he expects to unfold between media day and opening night. 

Murray will probably be much more willing to talk about his wedding, which was attended by several Kings alum. 

Doug Christie’s Approach, Expectations 

In addition to the roster changes, Sacramento experienced a full-scale regime change this summer. Monte McNair was let go immediately after the season, replaced by Scott Perry. Shortly thereafter, Perry said his phone was “ringing incessantly” with interest for the head coaching position. 

Regardless of outside interest, Perry removed Christie’s interim tag (seemingly without formally interviewing any other candidates), inking him to a multi-year contract to serve as Sacramento’s head coach. Like the Schroder contract, it is fair to question this process. 

What is unquestionable, though, is Christie’s commitment to the organization. He embodies Sacramento basketball, and who he was as a player in Sacramento on the early 2000s teams is what most fans would love to see this Kings team become. 

Christie has been on the Kings’ bench since he left the broadcast booth in 2021. He took over after Mike Brown was fired, leading Sacramento to a 27-24 record at the helm, ending the season with a Play-In loss. 

We will look for Christie to provide some insight into how he built his coaching staff out, and how he plans to develop and adjust his schemes to fit his personnel. He has a new point guard and a first round pick that showed impressive versatility in Summer League. It is undeniable that this Kings roster has talent - Christie just needs to figure out how to make it all work together. 

Again, fans should come into media day with low expectations in terms of quotes from players and coaches. We will most definitely hear a lot of coach speak and PR training quotes. Regardless, it is a major milestone on the way to the beginning of another Kings season.