[1] The Kings won the Draft Lottery, and selected Pervis Ellison from the University of Louisville with the first overall pick of the 1989 NBA draft,[2][3][4][5] and acquired Ralph Sampson from the Golden State Warriors during the off-season.
[6][7] However, prior to the start of the season, the Kings were hit with tragedy as Ricky Berry, who had just completed a solid rookie season, committed suicide on August 14, 1989, at the age of 24; Berry died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head at his suburban home in Sacramento after an argument with his wife, Valerie.
[8][9][10][11][12] After a 7–21 start to the season, head coach Jerry Reynolds was fired and replaced with Dick Motta.
At midseason, Kenny Smith was traded to the Atlanta Hawks in exchange for Antoine Carr.
[13][14][15] Injuries limited Ellison to only just 34 games, as the Kings finished last place in the Pacific Division with a 23–59 record.