The Sacramento Kings fired assistant coach Vance Walberg on Wednesday after one year with the team.
“This was a tough decision made after consideration of what is best for the team moving forward,” Kings vice president of operations and general manager Vlade Divac said in an announcement. “We want to thank Vance for his contributions to the organization and wish him the very best in his future endeavors.”
Walberg, 59, was hired in February 2015 shortly after George Karl was named head coach to replace Tyrone Corbin. He is considered a close adviser to Karl.
Yahoo Sports reported that Karl was opposed to letting Walberg go, but the Kings plan to hire a more defensive-minded assistant after struggling to stop opponents recently.
The Kings have a 22-31 record and are currently in 10th place in the Western Conference, 4 1/2 games out of eighth and a playoff spot. They have lost eight of their past 10 games.