The Sacramento Kings are hiring Joe Dumars to a front office position, according to The Athletic’s Sam Amick and confirmed by the Kings via press release. Dumars will serve as Special Advisor to General Manager Vlade Divac.
Dumars previously spent 13 years as General Manager of the Detroit Pistons, with mixed results. He was responsible for building the Pistons 2004 NBA Championship team, but also made a series of poor decisions as his tenure went on. As an advisor though, there’s a lot to like about adding Dumars to the staff. In addition to his tenure as a GM, Dumars had a Hall of Fame playing career and has a wealth of contacts and relationships throughout the league.
Dumars has other connections to the current Kings front office as well. In addition to playing against Vlade Divac in the NBA, Dumars employed former Kings assistant GM Scott Perry in Detroit, as well as current Kings assistant GM Ken Catanella.
From the Kings press release:
“Joe and I played together in the league and is a legend in our sport,” said Kings General Manager Vlade Divac. “As an experienced and talented basketball executive, I’m excited to have him serve as a special advisor and expert resource for our incredible front office team.”
“I’ve known Vlade for decades, and I’m thrilled to work with him and the Sacramento Kings at such an exciting time for the franchise,” said Dumars.
Although the NBA Draft is now behind the team, Dumars joins just in time to provide advice during free agency. The free agency moratorium (when teams can negotiate but can’t yet officially sign players) begins June 30th.