The Kings moved quickly overnight to reach a new agreement with general manager Vlade Divac, recommitting to a relationship that began when the international basketball legend first donned the team's uniform more than 20 years ago.
Divac has agreed to a four-year extension to remain with the team, the team announced Thursday morning, hours after the Kings suffered a season-ending loss in Portland. A league source, who spoke to The Sacramento Bee on the condition of anonymity, said Divac will have the power to decide the fate of coach Dave Joerger and assistant general manager Brandon Williams.
Divac's contract extension was first reported by Sam Amick of The Athletic. ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski later reported that Divac was pushing to consolidate power as the team's top executive, adding that he is seriously weighing the dismissal of Joerger. Divac and Joerger were reportedly expected to meet Thursday, and reports had already surfaced that Joerger would be dismissed.
Joerger has one season remaining on a four-year contract, but the team is unlikely to bring him back for a lame-duck season without a contract extension in 2019-20.
The Kings exceeded expectations to go 39-43 this season. They remained in playoff contention most of the season but ultimately fell short, failing to appear in the postseason for the 13th consecutive year.
