5 reasons Sacramento Kings fans should have hope

4. Bogdan Bogdanovic and the European advantage

Largely lost in the discussion about the Kings draft night was the fact that they acquired Bogdan Bogdanovic. Though it appears unlikely he will come to Sacramento next season, the 24-year-old Bogdanovic is one of the most NBA ready players in Europe. He is a steady shooter with the ability to create for others and isn’t a liability on defense. Bogdanovic is only the second player to be named the EuroLeague Rising Star twice. He should be ready for rotation minutes on the wing when he is eventually brought over, possibly more.

Prior to getting power within the Kings organization, Vlade Divac lacked administrative experience in the NBA. Despite that fact, he is a well connected person within the world of basketball. While he was still playing in the NBA, Divac was the President of his old club in Serbia, KK Partizan. He worked as a European scout for the Lakers and served as head of operations for the Real Madrid basketball club. In addition, international scout Marco Baldi is well regarded and Peja Stojakovic is involved in the front office. Sacramento should have an advantage in Europe.

There were 61 European players on opening day NBA rosters this season. A record 113 international players made rosters, a number that keeps trending upward. Having a front office in tune with international scouting is becoming increasingly more important. The Spurs have extended their dynasty by acing international scouting over the years, and the Nuggets have recently shown how it benefits a rebuild. Divac has the connections and tools to unearth undervalued players internationally. This should benefit Sacramento as long as he doesn’t use his position to employ his friends’ kids like he did with Duje Dukan last season.