If it's true that misery loves company, then the Sacramento Kings have found an organization to share it with. Less than two years after winning the only championship in franchise history, Denver has fired head coach Michael Malone with mere days remaining until the start of the playoffs.
In a twist of fate that no one saw coming, the door has been opened for Sacramento to finally undo its own baffling decision to fire Malone in 2014.
Malone was the head coach of the Kings for a grand total of 106 games. Sacramento went just 28-54 during his first season at the helm, but was off to an 11-13 start to the 2014-15 campaign when he was unceremoniously removed from his position.
The decision was widely criticized, as Malone had begun to get the best out of then-franchise player DeMarcus Cousins and the cast around him.
In the 10 years since, Malone has produced what could ultimately amount to a Hall of Fame résumé. He went 471-327 as head coach of the Nuggets, leading the team to its only title, three 50-win seasons, two Western Conference Finals appearances, and eight playoff series wins.
Despite that resounding success, Malone is back on the carousel—and the Kings are a team that still hasn't decided on a long-term answer at head coach.
Could the Kings bring the Michael Malone saga full circle?
One of the primary skills that Malone has displayed during his coaching career is the ability to highlight the strengths of his big men. Nikola Jokic became a three-time MVP under Malone, while Cousins earned two All-NBA nods and Aaron Gordon developed into the prototypical modern 4.
For a Kings team that has an All-NBA big roaming the interior in Domantas Sabonis, there's an instant reason for appeal as far as rehiring Malone is concerned.
With Malone leading the charge, Sacramento could help their All-NBA big take yet another colossal step forward. In the process, they could create a more functional hierarchy within which their ball-dominant players could learn to better coexist.
It's an accomplishment that defined Malone's tenure with the Nuggets, as he created a symbiotic system for the likes of Gordon, Jokic, Jamal Murray, and Michael Porter Jr.
Unfortunately, this could ultimately amount to a pipe dream considering the way Sacramento unceremoniously fired Malone in 2014. He's likely to be the hottest name on the coaching market this summer and the Kings have already treated him in a way that could've burned a bridge.
One simply can't help but wonder if Sabonis could be the latest in a long line of talented big men whom Malone could elevate to the next level.
Perhaps Malone views Sacramento as a franchise with which he has unfinished business. It's also possible that he could see an intriguing future for the Kings with promising young players such as Devin Carter, Keon Ellis, and Keegan Murray in the roles of some of his former Denver standouts, including Christian Braun, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, and Gordon.
Whether it's likely or not, it would behoove the Kings to explore this possibility and make amends with a coach they never should've fired.