Nobody's truly sure of anything right now. That said, Vivek has owned the Kings for twelve years. In that span, there were exactly two winning seasons and one single playoff appearance, along with three GMs and, like, eight head coaches. Vivek's a Silicon Valley type with that classic techbro philosophy of "move fast and break stuff", and I think the bloom is decidedly off that particular rose in 2025. The culture and philosophy of Big Tech isn't being warmly embraced at the moment, and that's largely because so many in that realm have been exposed as hacks. Hacks with "big ideas", sure, but hacks nonetheless. Success in one arena does not necessarily equate to success in an entirely different arena, yet that doesn't stop tech executives from imagining they can reshape the rest of the world in their image. NBA ownership is as good an example as any of what happens when hubris crashes headlong into reality.
Did Monte McNair deserve to keep his job? Perhaps not. It gets harder to argue so after another play-in flameout. But at a certain point, it doesn't really matter, does it? Vivek owns the team, and Vivek is going to keep cycling through GMs, head coaches, and "advisors" like he's on a carnival ride to nowhere. NBA franchises thrive in environments of stability, and Vivek's value system and philosophy simply do not account for the necessity of stability to long-term success.
So where does that leave Kings fans? Well, I'd say it leaves us hoping for luck. The original Beam Team probably represented a bit of luck. They were remarkably healthy during a season in which the rest of the West was broken and hobbled. They were hitting everything from deep. They were cresting the high and novelty of a strong marketing gimmick. They possessed a clear identity as a result of these factors and it helped them achieve a playoff berth and compete for seven games against the reigning champs. I remain a little surprised that they couldn't ride the wave for a couple more seasons, but that's the league. Sustained success is never guaranteed.
Maybe we'll get lucky again, though. A proper and committed rebuild is almost certainly off the table, because Vivek doesn't seem to recognize the value in such a strategy, for whatever reason. Hopefully that encumbered first rounder gets conveyed this off-season so that the Kings upcoming pick slate is clean. Hopefully some competency gets hired into the front office and onto the sideline. And hopefully some duplicative talent on the roster gets swapped out for some complementary talent. Maybe the 2025-2026 roster stumbles into chemistry and an identity. I suppose we'll see.
But I wouldn't be surprised if Kings fans continue to tune out. I've lived on the East Coast for a couple of years now, and I stayed up far past my bed time on a Wednesday night to watch a team that could barely be fussed to put forth an effort in a win-or-go-home scenario. I don't really get angry at sports at this stage of my life, but that sh*t pissed me off. I wouldn't shed a single tear if everyone but Keegan, Keon, and Carter were dumped in the off-season, for pennies on the dollar if need be.