The Sacramento Kings are making a coaching change, specifically by moving away from assistant coach Bobby Jackson. He's not the first member of the coaching team to leave recently, and he likely won't be the last. But it does make fans wonder what directing the Kings are going with coaches.
According to sources, Bobby Jackson is still on the Sacramento Kings coaching staff but the plan is for him to transition off at the end of the summer.
— Kevin John (@heykevinjohn) July 7, 2026
Statement from the Kings: "Bobby will always be a Kings legend, and we are grateful for everything he has contributed to our… pic.twitter.com/rBjs9jAPyS
If you're a long-time Kings fans, you have to know Jackson's name. He spent 12 seasons in the NBA, six of which were in Sacramento. He played there in the golden years under head coach Rick Adelman from 2000 to 2005, then returned for his final season in the league in 2008-2009.
That obviously wasn't the end of his association with the franchise. Jackson's first stint as an assistant coach was with the Kings from 2011 to 2013. He was the head coach of the Stockton Kings from 2021 to 2023, and eventually returned to Sacramento as an assistant coach in 2025.
During his time playing under Adelman, Jackson helped the Kings reach the Western Conference Finals in 2002 and was named the Sixth Man of the Year in 2003. His coaching career with Sacramento hasn't gone as well, particularly last season. He can't be personally blamed for that.
The Kings are slowly revamping their coaching staff
Being that head coach Doug Christie's stated focus is defense, it makes sense that they would want the right fit in their coaching staff. If they had any concerns about Jackson being in charge of the defense, phasing him out over the coming weeks makes a certain amount of sense.
The absolute debacle that 2025-2026 turned into, particularly on defense, likely didn't help his case. At the same time, the Kings' defense improved towards the end of the season, so he has to deserve some of the credit for that. Regardless, what's going on here is likely bigger than Jackson.
Former player development coach Jimmy Alapag left the Kings after six years back in April. Now, Jackson is on his way out. It's unlikely that they are the last members of Sacramento's coaching staff to leave the team in the coming months as it's not just the roster that needs a rebuild revamp.
Keeping in mind that there are still concerns in many circles about Christie being the right head coach, making moves in the coaching staff will be necessary. The issues that the Kings are trying to fix on the court started in the former front office and flow through the coaches into the players.
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