“Ready to leave” Sydney Kings top player poised to terminate his contract as part of a double deal.

The Sydney Kings have announced the departure of head coach Mahmoud Abdelfattah.

The Sydney Kings have parted ways with head coach Mahmoud Abdelfattah following their early defeat from the NBL24 Finals.

Abdelfattah took over as head coach of the back-to-back defending champions this season, however after winning seven of his first ten games, the Kings lost 13 of their final 19 games, including the Play-In Qualifier loss to New Zealand.

They entered the Finals in fifth position, one of three teams that finished the regular season 13-15.

His tenure also included the biggest win in the history of the NBL’s 40-minute era when Sydney overcame an undermanned South East Melbourne side by 55 points in Round 20.

Abdelfattah’s departure will likely lead to a dramatic shake-up of Sydney’s coaching ranks, following assistant coach Fleur McIntyre’s move to WNBA side Phoenix.

Sydney Kings CEO Chris Pongrass thanked Abdelfattah for his service to the team.

“This was an extremely difficult decision to make – however, we have an obligation to our members and fans and felt a change was needed,” Pongrass said in a statement.

“We’d want to thank Mahmoud for his services to the Kings organization and the Sydney community as a whole.

“He is a well recognized and talented coach, and it was a pleasure to work with him this season. Mahmoud’s temperament, work ethic, and unwavering optimism cannot be questioned.

“We are grateful for everything he has done this season and for the impact he made on this club.

“We thank Mahmoud for his commitment this past season.”