Sacramento pairs veteran strategist Brendan Suhr with rising coach Jason Maxiell, blending decades of NBA expertise and internal G League talent to fortify Doug Christie’s new staff.
The Sacramento Kings are bolstering Doug Christie's coaching staff, adding Brendan Suhr and former NBA player Jason Maxiell as assistant coaches, according to HoopsHype's Michael Scotto.
Suhr brings more than 25 years of experience as a coach and NBA executive, and 15 seasons as a college coach. He is assuming the same role that started his coaching journey in 1973 at the University of Detroit Mercy.
The 75-year-old spent one season with the Titans before joining Fairfield's coaching staff, returning to the university where he earned his master's degree in education. He spent five seasons with the Stags and then received the opportunity to coach in the NBA.
Suhr hopped around the league as an assistant, sitting on the benches for the Atlanta Hawks (1979-88), Detroit Pistons (1988-92) and New Jersey Nets (1992-94).
He took his first head coaching job in 1995, leading the Grand Rapids Mackers/Hoops from 1995-97 in the Continental Basketball Association. The Mackers/Hoops had great success under Suhr, finishing as the No. 1 seed in 1996, which led to a Coach of the Year award, and the No. 2 seed the following season.
Suhr returned to the NBA and college over the next 20-plus years before taking a break in 2020.
Maxiell is a special organizational rise, being promoted from the Kings' G League Affiliate to the parent team. He started his coaching journey last season in Stockton, a quick ascension for a young coach.
The 43-year-old spent nine seasons in the NBA as Detroit's 26th pick in the 2005 draft.
He signed a four-year rookie extension worth $20 million in October 2008 after improving every season and playing a career-high 82 games and averaging 7.9 points in the previous season.
Maxiell never regressed and never reached those heights again, but was still a valuable rotation player on a contending team. His Pistons tenure ended after the 2012-13 season when he set a new career-high of 71 games started.
The former Piston spent his last two years playing for the Orlando Magic and Charlotte Hornets, averaging 14.4 minutes per game in both seasons.
He continued his professional career overseas, signing with Tianjin Ronggang of the Chinese Basketball Association in 2015 and Tropang TNT of the Philippine Basketball Association in 2016.
Maxiell called it a career after his stint in the Philippines and signed a one-day contract with the Pistons to retire with the franchise that drafted him.
Suhr could be a reliable pillar for Christie throughout next season, with many responsibilities to juggle, and Maxiell could connect with the players, having spent nine seasons in the league.
