The third edition of the NBA Cup wrapped up last night with the Knicks taking the honors over the Spurs. In the end, the Sacramento Kings were actually the biggest losers because their former coach Mike Brown defeated their former point guard De'Aaron Fox while the Kings were nowhere to be seen.
Sacramento fans are nearing the first anniversary of the firing of Mike Brown from the role of Kings' head coach. It was an act that directly led to then star point guard De'Aaron Fox requesting a trade, likely because he was tired of the revolving door in such a key role.
Fox ended up part of a multi-team deal that sent him to the San Antonio Spurs. This was the same trade that brough Zach LaVine to Sacramento to reunite him with his old Chicago Bulls running buddy, DeMar DeRozan. That pairing has been about as effective for the Kings.
On the other hand, Brown found a new home in New York with the Knicks. After coaching them to the Eastern Conference finals, they unceremoniously fired Tom Thibodeau and subsequently brought Brown in. It's safe to say that move worked out for the Knicks, and made Spike Lee very happy.
The NBA Cup was an embarrassment for the Kings
Given how badly the Kings are playing this season, the idea of them even making it out of the NBA Cup's qualifying round was patently absurd. In Group A of the Western Conference, Sacramento lost all four games. To be fair, the Thunder, Suns, and Wolves were also in Group A.
Making it worse is the fact that the coach they fired less than a year ago defeated their former starting point guard and face of the franchise. It was two of the Kings' most recent mistakes put on full view for the entire league to see, and both are excelling away from Sacramento.
Keeping in mind that there is a lot of basketball left to play this season, the NBA Cup could easily have been a preview of the matchup for the 2026 NBA Finals. That would look even worse for the Kings if Brown and Fox are in the finals so quickly after moving on from their organization.
Don't laugh, either. If the Victor Wembanyama stays healthy, the Spurs have a real shot. And the Knicks are playing like champions already. It's a plausible scenario, one that will inevitably stick in the craws of anyone on the Kings who was part of the decision to let Brown and Fox go.