3x NBA Champion to Join Sacramento Kings Front Office

Armstrong is very familiar with Scott Perry as the host of the Hoop Genius podcast. Podcasts aside, Armstrong is a huge name in the NBA, and the mutual respect he and Perry seem to have for each other is a great sign for Sacramento.

After Scott Perry was hired by Sacramento, Armstrong had strong feelings for the hire and the direction the NBA was moving going forward.

“Hear me and hear me well. With the hiring of Joe Dumars there in New Orleans and Scott Perry in Sacramento, this signals the return of competitive conflict," Armstrong said.

After years of dysfunction and disarray, it feels great to bring in guys like Perry and Armstrong, who have both won at the highest level in the NBA and preach the right things when it comes to the on-court product.

Armstrong’s experience in the NBA is plenty to qualify for this role, but does he have any other ties to the Kings? As is the case with Doug Christie, likely assistant coaches Mike Woodson, Bobby Jackson, Darius Songaila, and GM Scott Perry, the answer is yes. 

After leaving the Bulls’ front office in 2005, Armstrong took on a role as an agent with Wasserman, where he would represent MVP and Bulls legend, Derrick Rose. Along with Rose, Armstrong has worked with rookie guard Isaiah Collier, Bismack Biyombo, former Kings Josh Jackson and Pooh Jeter, as well as previously representing NBA Champion Draymond Green.

While Armstrong does not represent him personally, Domantas Sabonis’ agents Greg Lawrence and Jason Ranne are both part of Wasserman’s basketball division, where Armstrong is the Executive Vice President. 

Along with a connection to Sabonis and Perry, Armstrong also shares an alma mater with Keegan Murray. Armstrong’s number 10 jersey is retired for the Hawkeyes, where he was the all-time leader in assists after graduating. Armstrong was passed up eventually by new leader, Jordan Bohannon and others later on, but still ranks sixth all-time in assists and steals and seventh in points.

While Murray holds the all-time records for advanced stats like Plus/Minus, Player Efficiency Rating, and Win Shares, Armstrong can give him some grief about having more points for Iowa. 

Armstrong was a bit overshadowed by all-time greats in Jordan and Scottie Pippen, but it’s worth mentioning that he has a higher career three-point percentage than Stephen Curry, knocking down nearly 43% of his attempts while in the NBA. He reached his height as a player, averaging 14.8 points and 3.9 assists on his way to being an All-Star in 93/94. While it’s not clear what exactly Armstrong will handle under Perry, one can hope his shooting will trickle down to the Kings’ roster.

With the NBA draft lottery six days away, it makes sense that Armstrong was brought in quickly so he can assist Perry in the draft, with any possible trades, and use his experience as an agent to help with contract negotiations.

With a slim likelihood of keeping their pick, a tough contract situation for Keon Ellis and Jake LaRavia, and more changes looming, it makes sense that Perry brought in someone he can trust early. This also sends a signal that Perry does have a lot of say in team decisions, which many fans and media members had been worried about this season. 

This offseason will be huge for Sacramento, and fans should be excited to have guys like Armstrong and Perry leading the charge in the front office.