The Sacramento Kings have chosen Golden State Warriors assistant coach Mike Malone as their next coach, a source told ESPNLosAngeles.com Thursday. Both sides have agreed to a four-year deal worth more than $9 million, including a team option in the fourth season, according to the source.
An official announcement will come Friday after the Kings' sale to Vivek Ranadive officially closes. Malone's hiring officially ends Keith Smart's tenure as Sacramento's coach. Smarth took over for the fired Paul Westphal in January 2012 and had one year remaining on his contract.
NBA coaching sources maintain that Malone was the only coaching candidate considered by Ranadive, who became familiar with Malone as a Warriors minority owner. A source close to the situation told ESPN The Magazine's Chris Broussard that legendary player and general manager Jerry West, who serves as a consultant with Golden State, has been counseling Ranadive through the hiring process. Ranadive is in the process of interviewing GM candidates, including Chirs Wallace and Travis Schlenk.
Malone is the son of former NBA coach Brendan Malone. Mike Malone has previously served as the top assistant to Monty Williams in New Orleans before signing on with Mark Jackson in Golden State. It was with the Warriors that Ranadive became familiar with Malone, and he was impressed enough to take the unusual step of hiring a coach before hiring a GM.
Brendan Suhr, who served as an assistant coach with Malone's father on Chuck Daly's staff in Detroit, took to Twitter on Thursday evening to congratulate Malone on the hire.
"Congrats to Mike Malone on becoming HC of Sac Kings His Dad Brendan & I were C Daly's asst w/ Bad Boys. He has paid his dues. Proud of him," Suhr tweeted.
Malone was also one of the early candidates being considered for the Los Angeles Clippers coaching vacancy.
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