The Sacramento Kings announced a series of staff updates and promotions within their basketball operations and coaching staff on Monday, setting their structure for the 2026-27 NBA season.
Veteran coach Brendan Suhr joins the Sacramento Kings as an assistant coach. He brings over forty years of experience from both the NBA and college basketball. Suhr was part of the Detroit Pistons staff that won consecutive NBA championships in 1989 and 1990. His NBA resume also includes assistant roles with the Atlanta Hawks, New Jersey Nets, Toronto Raptors, Orlando Magic, and New York Knicks.
Suhr also coached at several universities, including Detroit Mercy and LSU. He served on the staff for the legendary 1992 U.S. Men's Olympic Basketball 'Dream Team' that won gold. Beyond coaching, he founded Coaching U in 2008 and has worked as a leadership consultant for the National Basketball Players Association for more than ten years.
DJ Ham has been promoted to assistant coach after one season as the Kings' head of player development. He previously worked with the Cleveland Cavaliers organization. Ham was a video assistant and player development coach for the Cavaliers in the 2024-25 season. Before that, he served as an assistant coach and director of player development for the G League's Cleveland Charge.
His coaching career began at the high school and college levels after a playing career that included a year professionally in Germany. Ham is a graduate of Northwood University.
Joe Ajike joins the organization as the new head of player development. He spent the 2025-26 season in the same role with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, the Houston Rockets' G League affiliate. Ajike worked for the Washington Wizards for four seasons before that. His role there evolved from a video and development position to player development manager from 2023 to 2025.
Before entering the NBA, Ajike was a graduate assistant for the University of Miami men's basketball program. He played his college basketball at Rider University, graduating in 2018.
Former NBA forward Jason Maxiell is entering his second year with the Kings and his first as a player development coach. He spent the 2025-26 season as an assistant coach for the Stockton Kings in the G League. Maxiell was the 26th overall pick by the Detroit Pistons in the 2005 NBA Draft.
His ten-season NBA career included stops with the Pistons, Orlando Magic, and Charlotte Hornets. He appeared in three Eastern Conference Finals with Detroit between 2006 and 2009. In college at Cincinnati, he earned multiple All-Conference honors.
Wyatt Lohaus comes to Sacramento as an assistant video coordinator. He was a fellow with the Mississippi State men's basketball staff last season. Prior to coaching, Lohaus played two seasons of professional basketball overseas following his collegiate career at Northern Iowa.
These staff changes arrive as the Kings prepare for their offseason.
The full schedule and standings are always available on the team's standings page.
Adding a coach with Suhr's championship pedigree and promoting from within with Ham signals a focus on institutional growth. The reshaped player development team, led by Ajike and supported by Maxiell, will be tasked with improving the roster's young talent. For a team looking to climb the Western Conference, investing in its operational backbone is a clear priority. The new staff will now work on player development plans and strategic adjustments for the upcoming campaign.
