5 People who turned their backs on the Sacramento Kings

3. Pete D’Alessandro

Pete D’Alessandro is not a name most Kings fans like to hear and not because he turned his back on the team. He did. D’Alessandro was the Kings’ GM from 2013 to 2015 but left the team for a position with the Nuggets. By now, he is in Orlando. 

Abandoning the organization is not what he will be remembered most for among Kings fans, however. D’Alessandro is often referred to as the worst GM in Kings history. Owner Vivek Ranadive outlined the toxic environment in Sacramento under D’Alessandro and he made some controversial moves fans are still mad about. 

In 2014, he fired head coach Michael Malone way too early in the season to justify it. Malone just coached the Denver Nuggets to a championship, so one can’t help but wonder where the Kings would be now if D’Alessandro hadn’t fired him. 

Later that year, he used the eighth pick to draft Nik Stauskas ahead of Zach LaVine, Jusuf Nurkic, Clint Capella, and other capable NBA players. Stauskas never found his footing in the league, leaving the Kings with a draft bust. 

So, I guess it wasn’t the worst thing that D’Alessando turned his back on the Kings and left.