Former NBA big man Vlade Divac was named the Kings Vice President of Basketball and Franchise Operations last month. Most Kings employees figured that Divac would be involved just run the business side of things, until they found out from media reports that he was in charge of running both business and basketball, according to Tom Ziller of SB Nation.
“The Kings’ franchisee has never stopped tinkering with his front office since acquiring the team in May 2013, eventually adding enough members that no one outside the walls really knew who reported to whom,” Ziller writes. “The midseason hiring of George Karl, a known personnel meddler from the sidelines, only complicated the issue. (Former Kings GM Pete D’Alessandro) showed his hand by offering a “no comment” when asked about Divac’s arrival once it became clear Vlade would be more a decision-maker than a community ambassador.”
“According to league sources, no one but Divac and (ownership) actually understood he’d be in a powerful basketball operations position until a few days after the announcement. It was assumed that because Divac has extremely limited front office experience, one year as a scout for the Lakers, and deep business connections, he’d be a glad-hander instead of a personnel boss. Even folks in the front office, according to sources, were unclear Divac had personnel power until the big man (confirmed it).”
The Kings organization has gone through a huge change over the past year. They’ve had three head coaches this season, as they fired coach Mike Malone two months into his second year with the team. The team then hired George Karl during the middle of the season, replacing interim head coach Ty Corbin, Chris Mullin, who was an advisor to former GM Pete D’Alessandro and ownership, left to become the head coach of his Alma Matter St. John’s, Divac was hired, and last week D’Alessandro left to take a position in the Nuggets front office.
The team can operate anyway it wants too, but one has to wonder with all the confusion and change, if the future is actually looking bright.
