Geoff Petrie Not Expected Back as Sacramento Kings GM, New Candidates Emerge

What many have speculated on for months now appears to be coming to fruition: the end of Geoff Petrie's tenure as general manager of the Sacramento Kings.

According to Sam Amick of USA Today, Petrie was informed by the team's new owner, Vivek Ranadive, during a meeting on May 23 that the organization would be going in a different direction.

"

Petrie, whose contract expires at the end of June, was informed during a Thursday meeting with Ranadive that the new owner would be bringing in his own people once he assumed control of the team. While Petrie will assist during the transition, his league-long tenure that began in 1994 and included eight straight playoff berths and a Western Conference Finals appearance in 2002 will come to an end as expected.

"

The team is also expected to bring in a new head coach. However, Amick reports that the Kings will likely wait until a new general manager is hired to make that determination. That way the new GM can help find someone he can work well with.

Now that Petrie has been informed that he won't be returning for the 2013-14 season, some candidates to replace him have started to emerge.

Also according to Sam Amick of USA Today, Ranadive's list includes a few high-profile names from some successful organizations.

"

According to two people with knowledge of the situation, Ranadive has begun the process of finding a replacement for Kings President Geoff Petrie and is considering San Antonio Spurs President R.C. Buford, Golden State Warriors assistant general manager Travis Schlenk, and Memphis Grizzlies general manager Chris Wallace. Former Indiana Pacers general manager David Morway may also receive consideration, and Ranadive's internal list is not thought to be limited to this group.

"

The two names that really stick from the prospective list are R.C. Buford from the San Antonio Spurs and Chris Wallace from the Memphis Grizzlies. 

To be fair, as Amick points out, there is reason to believe that Chris Wallace may be looking for a change of scenery. Mainly it's the Grizz's recent ownership change, which diminished Wallace's role with the team, that might prompt him to jump ship.

From the Kings' perspective, bringing in someone of Wallace's caliber would be an excellent hire.

Wallace has a track record of success since he took over as Memphis' general manager in 2007. Wallace built a roster that's qualified for the postseason in three consecutive years. He's responsible for drafting point guard Mike Conley, trading for Defensive Player of the Year and rising star Marc Gasol and acquiring power forward Zach Randolph in a trade with the Los Angeles Clippers.

As for Buford, it's tough to envision him leaving San Antonio. He's part of a highly successful organization and all of his power within the franchise is still intact. As Amick speculates, for Buford, leaving the Spurs would be about looking for a new challenge. However, he also thinks Buford is unlikely to leave such a prosperous situation.

Ranadive's time as a minority owner with the Warriors also figures to factor into his decision-making process. His familiarity with Travis Schlenk from his time in Golden State is contributing to Sacramento's interest.

Former Warriors GM Chris Mullin was also recently singled out by Amick as a potential candidate.

Obviously, who will get the job remains to be seen. But two things are pretty clear: A) Ranadive won't cut any corners in the process; he'll be looking for a viable candidate and will be willing to spend money to get him, and B) time is not of the essence.

With Ranadive's purchase of the team expected to be finalized on May 31 and the NBA draft only about four weeks out, with free agency to follow shortly thereafter, the Kings need to move quickly.

But as former UCLA basketball coach and legend John Wooden was famous for saying, "Be quick, but don't hurry."

Hiring a general manager is a monumental decision. So while it's a decision that needs to be done on a constrained time line, even more importantly, it needs to be the right decision.

Follow me on Twitter: @SimRisso