Veteran basketball executive Joe Dumars is leaving his position with the Kings for a job in the NBA’s league office, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic. The league has confirmed in a press release that Dumars is its new executive vice president of basketball operations.
According to the NBA, Dumars will begin his new role May 9 and will oversee all basketball operations matters for the league, including “the development of playing rules and interpretations, conduct and discipline, and policies and procedures relating to the operation of games.”
Dumars, a Hall-of-Famer as a player, joined the Kings as a special advisor to then-GM Vlade Divac in 2019. When Divac was fired a year later, Dumars became Sacramento’s interim head of basketball operations, then transitioned into a chief strategy officer role following the hiring of Monte McNair. He had held that position for the last two years.
Dumars previously spent 14 years as the president of basketball operations in Detroit, winning an Executive of the Year award in 2003 and building the Pistons team that earned a championship in 2004.
“Joe’s extensive track record of accomplishment as an NBA player and team executive and the leadership and expertise that he has demonstrated in various roles make him a natural fit to drive efforts to further enhance the game,” NBA president of league operations Byron Spruell said in a statement. “As a respected longtime member of the NBA family, Joe has developed strong relationships across the league that will set the foundation for success in his new position.”
Dumars is replacing Kiki VanDeWeghe, who transitioned into an advisory role for the NBA last August after spending eight years as the EVP of basketball operations.
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