Sacramento Kings Owner Vivek Ranadive is reportedly growing frustrated and impatient, as the team currently sits six games out of the playoffs.
Ranadive has expressed his frustrations throughout the season in a group text with general manager Vlade Divac, head coach Luke Walton, assistant general manager Peja Stojakovic and Chief Operating Officer Matina Kolokotronis, according to Shams Charania, Sam Amick and Jason Jones of The Athletic.
While there is no sign that a front office or coaching change is imminent, it is a situation worth monitoring in the future.
Charania, Amick and Jones also noted that a source close to the situation believes that Buddy Hield could request a trade in the offseason if he doesn’t regain his starting role this season.
“If Hield remains displeased with his role, a source with knowledge of his thinking said he might request a trade. He believes he is a starter in the NBA and there’s no guarantee he’ll get that job back, given how the team has played lately. And unlike last season, when he never criticized [Dave] Joerger publicly and even refrained from doing so after their well-chronicled January 2019 run-in at Golden State, Hield has shown a willingness to criticize [Luke] Walton that has proved at times problematic.“
The Kings have a solid young core of talent that includes Hield, De’Aaron Fox, Marvin Bagley and Bogdan Bogdanovic, but the team hasn’t been able to translate that talent to continued on-court success.
Part of this is because the Kings have lost an NBA-high eight games by three points or less this season.
The Kings will need to make quite the push in order to become a factor in the race for the last playoff spot in the Western Conference, although it seems like a record right around .500 will be good enough for that spot.
