Source: Kings want lone decision-maker to run basketball ops

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It’s a process, although it’s not yet “The Process.”

Despite reports that the Kings are learning towards adding Minnesota Timberwolves executive Sachin Gupta and potentially pairing him with Houston Rockets assistant general manager Monte McNair, a league source told NBC Sports California that Sacramento hasn't yet made a final decision on who will run the basketball side of the franchise moving forward.

A league source also confirmed that the team is searching for a true No. 1 option who will have complete control over the basketball side of the franchise.

What title that person could have still is up for debate, but they will be the final say on basketball decisions and answer directly to chairman Vivek Ranadivé.

If interim vice president of basketball operations Joe Dumars has a role with the team moving forward, it will not be as the decision-maker on transactions. Dumars currently is helping with the interview process and the team’s search, along with Sportsology’s Mike Forde.

Gupta, who rose to fame as Sam Hinkie’s right hand man in Philadelphia, is still in the running and might eventually be the last person standing when it’s all said and done.

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Whoever takes over the Kings will have the option of hiring a secondary person to help fill the gaps in the front office. That choice could potentially be McNair, but the decision will be up to whoever lands the top job -- as it should be.

In the meantime, the Kings will continue to prep for the NBA Draft, which ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported Tuesday now is scheduled for Nov. 18. The team hopes to have a new leader in place long before that, but it is business as usual behind the scenes with a draft board being formed through the help of Dumars, assistant GM Ken Catanella, as well as the scouting and analytics staff.

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