Though the Kings winning 39 games in the 2018-19 season was their most since 2006, head coach Dave Joerger was still fired.
Kings general manager Vlade Divac might have hinted at the reasoning for his decision.
"Luke's [Walton] staff and my staff, we are not two divisions anymore. We are a team," Divac said to the Sacramento Bee's Marcos Breton. "We recognize the core that we have and the pieces we need to add but we're on the same page. We are working together."
It's easy to read into Divac's comments on "two divisions." The comments would suggest that there was some serious division in Sacramento between GM and coach.
Joerger also clashed with assistant GM Brandon Williams and removed him from a practice in November.
Kings point guard De'Aaron Fox has already started working with Walton -- Joerger's replacement -- and clearly notices a difference in style.
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"I already know the way that he wants to play," Fox said of Walton on Fox Sports 1's "Undisputed" last week. "I feel like if I was able to play in that type of environment, or pace offense my first year, I think it definitely would've been a lot different from what happened."
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Joerger went 98-148 in three seasons as the Kings' head coach.
Walton was accused by sports broadcaster Kelly Tennant of sexually assaulting her in 2014. Those allegations currently are being jointly investigated by the Kings and the NBA.
