Report: Kings' Luke Walton Likely First Coach to be Fired

Luke Walton is officially on the hot seat. The Sacramento Kings bench boss has become a prime candidate to be replaced and could be the first NBA coach to be let go of his duties this season.

According to Shams Charania and Sam Amick of the Athletic, the 41-year-old Walton is likely going to be fired if the team can't get out of their current losing streak. The Kings have dropped four straight to the Indiana Pacers, Phoenix Suns, San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder.

So far in his tenure in Sac Town, Walton has gone an unimpressive 67-90 in his three seasons and has not even sniffed the postseason. He's been under scrutiny for his handling of the rotation and some Kings players have visibly given up on their coach.

The Kings have a much better roster this season over the previous two years and the pressure is mounting. The franchise owns the NBA's longest active streak of 15 seasons of not making the playoffs. There's no doubt if they miss again Walton's gone, but the axing may come long before the end of the year.

Walton is hopeful he can turn things around as the Kings play the Detroit Pistons, Minnesota Timberwolves and Toronto Raptors next. Needless to say, his jobs on the line right now and every win is crucial.

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