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Sacramento Kings promote Vlade Divac to GM

By John Buhler

Mar 16, 2015; Sacramento, CA, USA; Sacramento Kings former center Vlade Divac speaks with the press after being named Vice President of Basketball and Franchise operations at Sleep Train Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ed Szczepanski-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 16, 2015; Sacramento, CA, USA; Sacramento Kings former center Vlade Divac speaks with the press after being named Vice President of Basketball and Franchise operations at Sleep Train Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ed Szczepanski-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Sacramento Kings have officially promoted former NBA star Vlade Divac to General Manager.

Vlade Divac, whose number 21 is retired by the Sacramento Kings organization from his days as a big man (1998-2004), had been a prominent member of eccentric Owner Vivek Ranadive’s front office last season as Vice President of Basketball and Franchise Operations. Now, he’s being boosted up the ladder even further, as he’s been named General Manager of the organization.

Divac had been Vivek Ranadive’s right-hand man in the organization after former Advisor Chris Mullin‘s departure to coach his alma mater’s hoops team, the St. John’s Red Storm of the Big East.

In a related move, the Sacramento Kings have hired former sharpshooter Peja Stojakovic as Director of Player Personnel and Development.  Stojakovic like Divac has his number retired by the Sacramento Kings.  His number 16 proudly hangs from the rafters of Sleep Train Arena for his impressive stint with the Kings (1998-2006).

It seems very much the trend in the Sacramento Kings organization to bring in marquee names to their organization to help turn around this franchise’s decade or so of dysfunction.  Ranadive brought in future Basketball Hall of Fame Coach George Karl to coach his club halfway through last season.  Vivek also hired Basketball Hall of Famer Nancy Lieberman as the second female assistant coach in NBA history.

Perhaps Ranadive has outgrown ‘new owner syndrome’ as is bringing in a respectable front office corps to help get his NBA franchise back on track.  Sacramento loves their Kings.  Mayor and former NBA star Kevin Johnson fought incredibly hard to keep the Kings in Sacramento when Seattle was clamoring for a team a few years back.

It’s completely up in the air if the Vlade Divac promotion will help or hurt the franchise going forward. But it feels like the Sacramento Kings are making decent public relations moves to try to keep their basketball team relevant in very deep Western Conference.

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