There was a belief for a long time that for the Sacramento Kings to improve, they needed a new owner. Much of the Kings' current issues have been dumped on Vivek Ranadive's doorstep, and rightfully so. With Scott Perry pushing the rebuild, that concern may have been mitigated somewhat.
Ranadive became the managing co-owner and chairman of the Kings since his ownership group took over in May 2013. Prior to that, he had been the co-owner and chairman of the Golden State Warriors, so he wasn't new to the NBA. The problem for the Kings has been his style of ownership.
On multiple occasions, it's been reported that Ranadive is involved with the Kings on a granular level. He has very specific ideas about every aspect of the franchise, including how the team plays. A lot of people would call that being a micromanager, and those people are probably right.
He was reportedly behind the push to bring in Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan, one of many moves that haven't panned out. On top of that, Ranadive has been accused of bringing in people he has personal connections with, like family, who are not suited for the roles they're being given.
Can Ranadive let his team members do their respective jobs?
There are more than a few Kings' fans and media types who would like to see someone else in charge of the franchise. That's not new. But Ranadive shows no signs of moving on from the Kings anytime soon. He has made it clear that he is in it for the long-haul, whatever that looks like at this point.
While that might not be welcome news for some, those people should take heart in the fact that Ranadive might actually be listening to his general manager. Perry has successfully gotten this franchise onto a rebuild path, something it's needed for 15 years or more.
That in and of itself is a massive achievement, and a great starting point on the journey to making this team remotely relevant. That being said, it requires Ranadive to sit back and leave the controls firmly in the hands of other people for an extended period of time. That's a bit more concerning.
If the rebuild doesn't start bearing fruit, it wouldn't be surprising to see Ranadive go back to his micromanaging ways. This is a long and difficult process, one that could be relatively successful for the franchise. But Ranadive cannot stop meddling, he might have to finally walk away.
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