Dumars exits after play at Kings’ front office

Reports say Hall of Famer proposed new power structure

Joe Dumars has come and gone, but his presence in Sacramento and the power he wielded within the Kings organization remains one of the great mysteries in franchise history.

Dumars is a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame who won NBA championships as a player and executive, but despite his distinguished record, he was never made available to the media over three seasons in Sacramento. Dumars joined the organization as a special adviser to the general manager in 2019 and was appointed chief strategy officer in 2020, but it seems the job he really wanted was president of basketball operations.

Dumars left the organization Monday to take a job with the NBA following what looks like a failed attempt to seize control of the Kings’ front office. The Athletic’s Sam Amick reported that Dumars, with his contract expiring, wanted more direct control of basketball operations if he was going to stay with the team. Under the power structure proposed by Dumars, general manager Monte McNair would have reported directly to Dumars instead of Ranadive, but Amick noted Ranadive “didn’t share an interest in that sort of setup.”

This comes two years after former general manager Vlade Divac resigned, with Dumars playing a role in his departure. Divac was offered a chance to remain in the team’s front office with Dumars taking over as head of basketball operations, but Divac rejected that idea, choosing to leave the organization instead.

A source who worked in basketball operations at the time told The Sacramento Bee that Dumars overplayed his hand in a hostile takeover attempt that was too transparent. Instead of putting Dumars in charge of basketball operations, Ranadive created a new position, appointing Dumars as chief strategy officer. The new job tasked Dumars with developing and implementing strategy across the franchise’s entire portfolio of activities — including business, basketball, new ventures, entertainment and real estate — but McNair was brought in as head of basketball operations.

“Joe thought he was going to get the job after he outed Vlade, and I think he was too aggressive in doing that,” the source said.

Dumars apparently made one last attempt to take control from McNair before taking a job with the NBA as executive vice president of basketball operations. In his new role, he will oversee the development of playing rules and interpretations, conduct and discipline, and policies and procedures relating to the operation of games.

“My life has centered on the NBA for nearly 40 years, which makes the opportunity to serve the entire league incredibly exciting and rewarding,” Dumars said in a statement issued by the NBA. “I’m looking forward to using my skills and experience to collaborate with all 30 teams on ways to shape the future direction of the league and help the game continue to evolve.”

The Kings declined to comment on Dumars’ apparent power play in Sacramento, but they issued a brief statement to The Bee, saying: “We appreciate Joe’s many contributions to the Kings organization and wish him the best on his next chapter with the NBA.”