The team's other pillar player, forward Domantas Sabonis, hasn't played since Dec. 22 against the Indiana Pacers. He appeared to still be processing the news, saying that he hadn't been around the team enough during his injury to gauge their reaction to the change, but offered some thoughts on how Brown has impacted his career.

Brown led the Kings' most successful era since the early 2000s. But tension built over a nightmare homestand, leading to Friday's dismissal.

"Pressure or guilt?" Fox said. "I mean, obviously, we all know the job that we have. You can be traded at any point, released, cut, fired, whatever it may be. I mean, I wouldn't u