Kings Also Trying To Add Bobby Jackson To Staff

Vlade Divac likes being among old friends, it seems. Yesterday the news broke that Divac was trying to add Peja Stojakovic to his front office, and then later we found out that Vlade wants Bobby Jackson to join the Kings as well:

His would-be role within the Kings organization is currently unknown, although it is useful to note he has been an assistant coach on two different teams previously, one of which was the Sacramento Kings. He was hired in 2011 and stayed on with Sacramento until Michael Malone took over the team in 2013.

He then took on a player development coaching role with the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2013. So it seems that Jackson is best suited to be some sort of assistant coach, unless Vlade has more of a scouting/front office role in mind for his former teammate.

This reunion of the early 2000’s Sacramento Kings is at least a fun talking point for the offseason, and at most a sensible strategy to help rebuild the Kings to those former glory days. I’m not sure if Peja, Vlade or Bobby are fully qualified for the positions they may receive with the Kings, but it seems that Vlade and owner Vivek Ranadive have faith in the old Kings.

There’s no word on exactly what position either Stojakovic or Jackson would occupy with Sacramento yet, although I’m hoping neither of them are more than assistants to someone else. Putting blind faith in a former player worked once, as Vlade Divac seems to be more than capable at making savvy personnel moves, but I’m not so sure that it’ll work two more times.

There’s no real way to tell what the Kings’ front office has in mind, but making a brain-trust of the three former Kings players that makes decisions together (most likely with Divac getting the final say on matters) could be an interesting way to go about running an NBA franchise.

That being said, Jackson has only really had limited coaching experience and may just end up joining George Karl’s staff to be a minor assistant coach like he was in Minnesota. And I really have no idea what Stojakovic is going to do.

Our Kyle Robert made an interesting call that he may oversee overseas prospects–that’s something that could give the Kings a leg up when it comes to draft day.

One final thing that’s important to note is that neither Jackson nor Stojakovic have been officially signed, yet. All we have so far is interest from the Kings in recruiting the two former players to rejoin the organization–neither of them have publicly commented that they wish to return to Sacramento yet.

I feel like they both will soon, however. Stojakovic has been with Kings people watching Summer League in Las Vegas, and Jackson doesn’t exactly have several suitors trying to win him over. If Divac truly wants these two on his staff, it seems certain that he will get them.

Then all that’s left to find out is exactly what he’s got in mind for Bobby Jackson and Peja Stojakovic, which is the fun part of all this. The summer of Vlade Divac continues.