Kings Announce Changes To Coaching, Basketball Ops. Staffs

In a press release on Monday, the Kings announced several changes to their coaching and basketball operations staffs for the 2026/27.

Veteran NBA assistant Brendan Suhr is a new assistant coach on Doug Christie’s staff. The 75-year-old worked for Atlanta, Detroit, New Jersey (now Brooklyn), Toronto and New York from 1979-2008. He has also spent extended time at the NCAA level and was a head coach in the CBA from 1995-97.

After one season as Sacramento’s head of player development, D.J. Ham has been promoted to assistant coach. Ham previously spent time with Cleveland’s organization.

Joe Ajike will essentially replace Ham as the Kings’ new head of player development. Ajike got his NBA start with the Wizards in 2021 and spent four years with Washington prior to spending last season as the head of player development for the Rio Grand Valley Vipers, Houston’s G League affiliate.

Former NBA forward Jason Maxiell is now a player development assistant after spending last season as an assistant coach with the NBAGL’s Stockton Kings. Maxiell spent 10 years in the NBA as a player, suiting up for Detroit, Orlando and Charlotte from 2005-15.

Wyatt Lohaus (assistant video coordinator) and Drake LaMont (assistant video coordinator), Kathy Evans (director of basketball data science), Imhotep “Tap” George (coaching associate) and Brandon Lewis (senior basketball software engineer) are new additions to the basketball operations department, while Daniel Hixon (manager of scouting), Julius Lewis (assistant director of team security), Nicolas Liagridonis (basketball data scientist/G League personnel coordinator) were promoted to new roles.