Vlade Divac Exit Could Spell Doom For Luke Walton's Kings Coaching Stint

The Sacramento Kings are in for a major overhaul following the resignation of general manager Vlade Divac.

On Friday, the Sacramento Kings announced that Divac, 52, is stepping down after the team failed to advance to the playoffs for the 14th consecutive year, ESPN reported. The Serbian has been part of the front office for the Kings since 2015, serving as the team's vice-president of basketball operations and general manager.

Joe Dumars, who came on board last year as an advisor, will take over on an interim basis as executive vice-president of basketball operations and general manager. Dumars will also be involved in the search for a new general manager.

“I want to thank [Vivek Ranadivé] 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 said in a statement.

Kings owner Vivek Ranadivé thanked the former NBA player for his efforts but believed it was the best route to follow.

“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,” Ranadivé said.

With Dumars now at the helm, it will be interesting to see what moves he will be making. For now, the word out is that there will be no changes made until a new general manager is named. Hence, the job of head coach Luke Walton remains safe for now. The 40-year-old coach signed a four-year deal with the Kings in April last year.

Walton did not exactly have a great first season with the Kings, marred by some off-court issues. These included a sex case that was eventually dropped in December, The New York Times reported.

Aside from that, Walton failed to gain the trust of his players. There were some, like Buddy Hield, who were unhappy with their minutes.

Dewayne Dedmon was another player who did not hit it well with Walton. The 31-year-old center ended up going back to the Atlanta Hawks via trade deal last February.