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“When I started this process,” Ranadive said after the D’Alessandro hiring became official Monday, “to be totally honest, I was biased toward having a GM who had experience. Many years of experience. It was a very rigorous process. I interviewed some hard candidates. Quite honestly, when I spoke with Pete, he was a long-shot candidate. I went through a very rigorous interview process. I put these guys through the rigors. It was a few hours long, asking several questions, detailed questions. I did everything short of giving them an IQ test. Which I would have done. But this guy is amazing. I called (Chris) Mullin and I asked him that question the next morning. I spoke to Pete, it was early Saturday morning, I called up Mullin and I said, ‘Hey, what about this guy.’ He said, ‘He’s the smartest guy out there.’ ‘Is he ready?’ ‘Absolutely. No question about it.’ He was head and shoulders above, in my view, what I was looking for. Like I said, he was the smartest candidate, the hungriest guy and the most passionate guy. And you see that with all the comments that he’s making.” NBA.com

Sacramento Kings, Owners, Vivek Ranadive, Pete D'Alessandro 

Pete D'Alessandro was in a comfortable place. He could have stayed in Denver and angled to be the Nuggets' new general manager, continuing to work with team president Josh Kroenke. But D'Alessandro wanted to take a chance on himself. "I've always been that second guy," D'Alessandro said. "I've always been the guy who can help, and we've had success wherever I've gone. I feel I'm ready." Sacramento Bee

Sacramento Kings, Pete D'Alessandro 

And D'Alessandro falls in line with many of today's new general managers. He didn't play in the NBA or even in college. Statistical analysis is a strength, and he has worked for a sports agency. D'Alessandro is also a lawyer. "The 21st-century GM has to understand the complexities of (salary) capology, the development in technology, the use of analytics," Ranadive said. "And if a good chess player thinks two moves ahead, in Pete we have a guy who can think four moves ahead." Sacramento Bee

Sacramento Kings, Pete D'Alessandro 

Jon Santiago: Vivek talking about the 21st century GM: understanding cap, technology, analytics. Suggests D'Alessandro understands those aspects. Twitter @itsjonsantiago

Sacramento Kings, Owners, Vivek Ranadive, Pete D'Alessandro 

Jon Santiago: The #SacKings have had a notorious reputation for not embracing analytics and advanced metrics. That is about to change. Twitter @itsjonsantiago

Sacramento Kings, Owners, Vivek Ranadive, Pete D'Alessandro 

Jason Jones: Ranadive says Michael Malone and Pete D'Alessandro are the "foundation" of the new Sacramento Kings. Twitter @mr_jasonjones

Sacramento Kings, Coaching, Owners, Mike Malone, Vivek Ranadive, Pete D'Alessandro 

Sean Cunningham: Vivek Ranadive says at first Pete D'Alessandro was a long shot. Chris Mullin advised Ranadive #nbakings Twitter @News10Sean

Sacramento Kings, Chris Mullin, Owners, Vivek Ranadive, Pete D'Alessandro 

Sam Amick: I'm told nothing formally done yet,but would be surprised if it doesn't happen. Mullin worked with new GM Pete D'Alessandro at Golden State. Twitter @sam_amick

Sacramento Kings, Chris Mullin, Pete D'Alessandro 

Jason Jones: The Kings have offered Chris Mullin a job as a consultant. Mullin was D'Alessandro's boss in Golden State Twitter @mr_jasonjones

Sacramento Kings, Chris Mullin, Pete D'Alessandro 

James Ham: The Kings have announced an introductory press conference for Monday at 12:30 for Pete D'Alessandro, the team's new GM. Twitter @James_Ham

Sacramento Kings, Pete D'Alessandro 

In another blow to a quickly emptying front office, the Nuggets lost their in-house general manger candidate to the Sacramento Kings. Nuggets president Josh Kroenke said the team's vice president of basketball operations, Pete D'Alessandro, is leaving Denver to be the general manager of the Sacramento Kings. D'Alessandro was the right-hand man for Masai Ujiri when Ujiri was the executive in charge of the Nuggets' basketball operations. The Kings identified D'Alessandro as a leading candidate early in their search for a general manager and landed him Saturday. D'Alessandro's departure means the Nuggets probably will have to hire a general manager from outside the team. Denver Post

Denver Nuggets, Sacramento Kings, Masai Ujiri, Josh Kroenke, Pete D'Alessandro 

The Sacramento Kings have an agreement in principle to make Denver Nuggets vice president of basketball operations Pete D'Alessandro their new general manager, two people with knowledge of the situation confirmed to USA TODAY Sports. USA Today Sports

Denver Nuggets, Sacramento Kings, Pete D'Alessandro 

Adrian Wojnarowski: The Sacramento Kings have reached an agreement in principle to make Denver VP Pete D'Alessandro its general manager, league sources tell Y! Twitter @WojYahooNBA

Denver Nuggets, Sacramento Kings, Pete D'Alessandro 

The Kings' ownership group, led by Vivek Ranadive, is still working through how the front office will be structured and hasn't ruled out hiring a team president to work alongside D'Alessandro, one person familiar with the situation said. Grizzlies GM Chris Wallace is the leading candidate for that position, the person said. CBSSports.com

Memphis Grizzlies, Sacramento Kings, Chris Wallace, Owners, Vivek Ranadive, Pete D'Alessandro 

Ranadive has been looking to have a two-tier structure of sorts, with a widely known name at the top joining forces with a respected executive in the front office. He is known to have had recent discussion with former Indiana Pacers team president Larry Bird, and fellow candidates Chris Wallace (former Memphis Grizzlies general manager), Travis Schlenk (Golden State Warriors assistant general manager), Mike Dunleavy (longtime coach and executive) and David Morway (former Pacers general manager) have interviewed for the job. The Kings have also received permission to speak with Pete D'Alessandro, the vice president of basketball operations for the Nuggets. USA Today Sports

Sacramento Kings, Coaching, Kenny Smith, Vivek Ranadive, Pete D'Alessandro 

The Denver Nuggets have given the Sacramento Kings permission to interview VP of basketball operations Pete D'Alessandro for their open general manager position, USA TODAY Sports' Sam Amick reports. The Nuggets had deliberated for several days about whether or not to let the Kings interview D'Alessandro, because they too are in search of a new GM after newly crowned NBA Executive of the Year Masai Ujiri left to take the Toronto Raptors' top front-office job. USA Today Sports

Denver Nuggets, Sacramento Kings, Pete D'Alessandro 

Sam Amick: Another wrinkle to the D'Alessandro candidacy in Sacramento: strong chance Brooklyn assistant GM Bobby Marks would join him if he got job. Twitter @sam_amick

Denver Nuggets, Brooklyn Nets, Sacramento Kings, Bobby Marks, Pete D'Alessandro 

Sam Amick: The Denver Nuggets have granted permission to the Kings for them to speak with VP of basketball ops Pete D'Alessandro about their GM job. Twitter @sam_amick

Denver Nuggets, Sacramento Kings, Pete D'Alessandro 

Sam Amick: The Nuggets had deliberated for days after the request was made, but Kings can now sit down with D'Alessandro. Twitter @sam_amick

Denver Nuggets, Sacramento Kings, Pete D'Alessandro 

As the Nuggets zero in on two possible coaching candidates, a source said Denver has received official permission from the Pacers to talk to assistant coach Brian Shaw, as well as permission from the Grizzlies to talk to head coach Lionel Hollins. The Nuggets are also looking to fill their general manager vacancy, and Pete D'Alessandro remains as a top candidate for the position. Denver Post

Denver Nuggets, Indiana Pacers, Memphis Grizzlies, Coaching, Brian Shaw, Lionel Hollins, Pete D'Alessandro