Kings GM Vlade Divac to Step Down; Joe Dumars to Assume Role

Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

Vlade Divac has stepped down as the Kings' general manager, the team announced Friday.

"It has been an honor and a privilege to serve as the General Manager for the Kings," Divac said in a statement. "I want to thank Vivek for the opportunity and recognize all of the incredible colleagues who I had the great pleasure of working with during my tenure. Sacramento and the Kings will always hold a special place in my heart and I wish them all the best moving forward."

Divac joined the franchise in March 2015 as the team's vice president of basketball and franchise operations, and was later named the team's GM that August. Divac oversaw the team's selection of De'Aaron Fox and Marvin Bagley, among other picks. He also orchestrated the team's decision to trade away All-Star center DeMarcus Cousins in 2017. 

"This was a difficult decision, but we believe it is the best path ahead as we work to build a winning team that our loyal fans deserve," Kings owner and chairman Vivek Ranadivé said in a statement. "We are thankful for Vlade's leadership, commitment and hard work both on and off the court. He will always be a part of our Kings family."

According to The Athletic, head coach Luke Walton, who was hired during the 2019 offseason, is safe. 

Per The Athletic, former Detroit Pistons president of basketball operations, Joe Dumars will serve as the team's interim executive VP of basketball operations and assume GM duties. Dumars was recently an advisor for the team. 

Dumars will work with the franchise to "develop a long-term strategy for the organization's basketball operations structure," the team said in a statement.

In April of 2014, Dumars stepped down as the Pistons' president of basketball operations. Dumars was Detroit's vice president of player personnel during the 1999-2000 season before being promoted to president of basketball operations. Dumars was named the NBA's 2003 executive of the year, and the Pistons won another title the following season.

The Kings ended the 2019-20 season with a 31-41 record. They went 3-5 in the NBA bubble in Orlando.