Report: Kings fire head coach Luke Walton, promote Alvin Gentry [UPDATE]

The Sacramento Kings fired head coach Luke Walton on Sunday afternoon after the team lost seven out of eight games and currently in 12th place in the Western Conference, per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Kings associate head coach Alvin Gentry is expected to get strong consideration to serve as the interim head coach, adds Wojnarowksi.

Walton was only the head coach of the Kings for two-plus seasons and posted a record of 68-93. Last week, Shams Charania and Sam Amick of The Athletic reported that Walton was on the hot seat and that his job would be in peril soon if the Kings’ slump continued.

This isn’t the first time that Walton was under fire as it was the same story last season. The Kings finished a record of 31-41 and in 12th place in the Western Conference. Sacramento is trying to snap their 15-year playoff drought and will look to do it with a new head coach for this season.