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The 2022–23 Sacramento Kings season was the 78th season for the franchise in the National Basketball Association (NBA), and 39th season in the city of Sacramento. On April 11, 2022, the Sacramento Kings relieved interim head coach Alvin Gentry of his duties. Gentry was named interim head coach after the team fired Luke Walton in November 2021. On May 9, 2022, the Sacramento Kings hired Golden State Warriors assistant coach Mike Brown to become the Kings' new head coach. After the Seattle Mariners of MLB qualified for the Playoffs for the first time since 2001, the Kings entered this season with the longest active postseason drought in the four major North American sports with their last playoff appearance in 2006. Despite starting 0–4, they improved on their 30–52 record from last year by winning their 31st game on February 8, and won their first Pacific Division title since 2003, after putting an end to an NBA-record 16 season-long playoff drought. The longest active playoff drought in the four major North American Sports now belongs to the Buffalo Sabres of NHL and the New York Jets of NFL with each team missing the playoffs 12 years straight. Meanwhile, the Charlotte Hornets now owned the longest playoffs drought in NBA with their last appearance in 2016, followed by the Detroit Pistons in 2nd for NBA playoffs drought with their last playoffs appearance in 2019, then tied for 3rd for playoffs drought in NBA, the Orlando Magic, the Houston Rockets and the San Antonio Spurs with each team last making the playoffs in 2020 at the NBA Bubble.

On February 24, 2023, the Kings won the second-highest scoring game in NBA history, winning a 176–175 double-overtime match over the Los Angeles Clippers. On March 12, against the Suns, the Kings reached the 40-win mark for the first time since the 2005–06 season. Three days later, the Kings won their 41st game, ending an NBA-record of 16 consecutive losing seasons. The day after winning their 41st game, they secured their first winning season in 17 years with their win over the Brooklyn Nets. On March 29, the Kings clinched their first postseason berth since 2006 with their win over the Portland Trail Blazers, ending the longest playoff drought in NBA history and the longest active postseason drought in the four major North American sports. On April 4, the Kings secured their first Pacific Division championship since the 2002–03 NBA season with a win over the New Orleans Pelicans. Mike Brown was named the first ever unanimous NBA Coach of the Year for his work with the Kings this season.

The Kings faced the defending champions in the first round, the Golden State Warriors. Despite winning the first two games of the series, the Kings would then lose the next three games and Game 7 and were eliminated from the playoffs, becoming the first Pacific division champion to be eliminated in the first round since the 2012–13 Los Angeles Clippers.

Draft picks

Round	Pick	Player	Position	Nationality	College / Club
1	4	Keegan Murray	Power forward	United States	Iowa

Roster

Standings

Division

Conference

Game log

Preseason

Regular season

Playoffs

Player statistics

Regular season

Playoffs

• Denotes player spent time with another team in the season. Stats reflect time with the Kings only.

Transactions

Trades

Free agency

Re-signed

Additions

Subtractions

See also

• Light the Beam

References

1. "Sacramento Kings Franchise Index". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved October 29, 2021.
2. "Interim Head Coach Alvin Gentry Relieved of Coaching Duties". NBA.com. April 11, 2022. Retrieved May 21, 2022.
3. "Kings Announce Mike Brown as Head Coach". NBA.com. May 9, 2022. Retrieved May 21, 2022.
4. Samillano, Gerard (October 1, 2022). "Sacramento Crowned With Embarrassing Title After Mariners Clinch Playoffs". ClutchPoints. Retrieved October 5, 2022.
5. "The Kings clinch winning record for the first time in 16 years, but where do they go from here?". ESPN. March 17, 2023. Retrieved March 22, 2023.
6. Spears, Marc. "Kings clinch first playoff berth since 2006 with win over Blazers". espn.com. Retrieved March 30, 2023.
7. Evans, Jace. "Kings end longest playoff drought in NBA history, secure first postseason berth since 2006". usatoday.com. Retrieved March 30, 2023.
8. Kings' Mike Brown named NBA's 1st unanimous Coach of the Year, Yahoo Sports, April 19, 2023
9. "Kings Acquire Sasha Vezenkov From Cleveland". NBA.com. June 23, 2022. Retrieved June 23, 2022.
10. "Kings Acquire Two Future Second-Round Draft Picks From Dallas". NBA.com. June 23, 2022. Retrieved June 24, 2022.
11. "Kings Acquire Kevin Huerter From Atlanta". NBA.com. July 6, 2022. Retrieved July 11, 2022.
12. "Kings Complete Trade With Brooklyn Nets". NBA.com. February 8, 2023. Retrieved February 8, 2023.
13. ^ "Kings Sign Neemias Queta And Keon Ellis To Two-Way Contracts". NBA.com. July 2, 2022. Retrieved July 2, 2022.
14. "Kings sign Malik Monk". NBA.com. July 6, 2022. Retrieved July 7, 2022.
15. "Agent: Malik Monk signing two-year, $19 million deal with Sacramento Kings". ESPN. Retrieved July 10, 2022.
16. "Lakers Sign Troy Brown Jr., Damian Jones and Juan Toscano-Anderson". NBA.com. July 1, 2022. Retrieved July 2, 2022.
17. "Warriors Sign Free Agent Guard Donte DiVincenzo". NBA.com. July 8, 2022. Retrieved July 10, 2022.

• Sacramento Kings seasons
• 2022–23 NBA season by team
• 2022 in sports in California
• 2023 in sports in California
• 2020s in Sacramento, California