Ex-King Webber frustrated by team's front office struggles

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The Kings have had a rough seven days, and former Sacramento big man Chris Webber has a lot to say about it.

In the last week, the Kings have had Vlade Divac step down as the general manager after five seasons with Peja Stojakovic following his lead and parting ways with the organization as their assistant GM.

This was a reset for a team that has come so close to being in the playoffs, and was caused in part by the 2018 NBA Draft when the Kings passed on Luka Doncic. There also were many decisions that Divac would make that wouldn’t work out in his favor including free-agent signings of George Hill, Dewayne Dedmon, Trevor Ariza and Zach Randolph, who turned out to be busts. 

“They’re going to have to work hard,” Webber told The Athletic. “It’s been frustrating to watch. I think everyone tried their best and I’m very happy that at least in the interim -- Joe Dumars is a great leader and I think he’s consulting the team right now. So for me, as a Kings fan, it makes you feel a little bit better but you feel bad knowing that Vlade gave his all.”

Webber’s fandom for the Kings is due to the seven seasons he played there, earning four of his five career NBA All-Star selections in Sacramento. So this was more personal for him. He also had his No. 4 uniform retired with the Kings.

“Of course I played there and I was a big part of it so anything I say will be taken out of context so I don’t want to speak in any way that could,” Webber said. “I feel sorry for Vlade, they have the best fans, the city’s going to be resilient, they are going to make the playoffs, they are going to get in the right direction and I just wish the best for the organization. It’s kind of hard to be professional when you’re asking a question about an organization I care so much about, so I’ll shut up.” 

Before he “shut up,” Webber had plenty to say. Perhaps knowing Divac was behind selecting De’Aaron Fox at the No. 5 overall pick in the 2017 draft was a bit of a silver lining. Fox is becoming a star for the team both on and off the court and the fans Webber talked about still ring true to the city. 

He cares about the team so much, but there’s a lot of work that needs to be done.

The Kings brought in Mike Forde, who is dubbed a “world performance expert” at Sportsology, a company that restructures organizations, according to the Sacramento Bee. 

[RELATED: What Kings could offer GM after Divac's exit]

His job will be to work with owner Vivek Ranadivé and interim executive vice president of basketball operation Joe Dumars find the new person who will replace Divac. 

Forde is the perfect guy for the job after helping the New Orleans Pelicans and Washington Wizards begin their GM searches last season. 

They’ll need the help. And it'll start with the No. 12 overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft.

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