The surprises never end with the Sacramento Kings. In early March, they named Vlade Divac vice president of basketball and franchise operations. The team's announcement indicated that he would be "advising the Kings front office and coaching staff, assisting the organization’s global branding efforts, augmenting fan outreach initiatives and oversight of player development programs." There was also mention of talent evaluation and helping to "foster relationships between the team and a growing pipeline of European athletes."
In that announcement, there was certainly no mention of owner Vivek Ranadive making Divac Sacramento's top decision-maker, higher on the totem pole than general manager Pete D'Alessandro. It appears that is what's quietly happened, according to ESPN's Marc Stein.
The Kings have yet to formally announce their new power structure, but sources say that Divac has supplanted both general manager Pete D'Alessandro and former Kings adviser Chris Mullin -- who just jumped to the college game as the new coach at alma mater St. John's -- as Sacramento's lead basketball decision-maker.
The future of D'Alessandro in Sacramento, especially after the departure of his closest ally in the organization in Mullin, is unclear. Sources say, however, that the Kings have already launched a search to add another front-line basketball executive to work alongside Divac whether D'Alessandro stays or departs.
Other high-ranking officials in the Kings' current setup include assistant GM Mike Bratz, scouting director Chris Gilbert and director of player personnel and analytics Dean Oliver, who left a position at ESPN to join Sacramento's front office entering this season.
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The hiring of Karl as coach, followed by Divac's surprise appointment in March, were Ranadive-driven decisions. The chain of events thus marks the second time in Ranadive's brief tenure as Kings owner that he has hired a coach before hiring his lead basketball decision-maker, as seen with Malone and D'Alessandro.
But Divac has been insistent in numerous interviews since his return to Sacramento that he is a longtime fan of Karl's and is determined to make the partnership work.
It just doesn't stop, does it? The Kings are seemingly always in transition, searching for cohesion, looking for the right path to follow. After the George Karl hire, it for once looked like they might have a vision. Ranadive wanted his team to push the pace and move the ball, which is Karl's style. D'Alessandro had a good relationship with Karl from their time in Denver. They'd all have some work to do with franchise player DeMarcus Cousins after five years of organizational turmoil, but at least there was a plan. Now, uh, is there a plan?
Divac could be a fantastic executive. There's no way to know right now -- most of his front-office experience has been in Europe -- but he really could be great. The problem is not Divac; it's Sacramento again showing cracks in its foundation. The Kings must figure out exactly who is in charge.
