Kings extend contract of VP Vlade Divac

The Sacramento Kings have signed vice president of basketball operations/general manager Vlade Divac to a multiyear contract extension, the team announced Wednesday.

"My commitment to the Sacramento Kings goes back to my days as a player and I'm grateful to continue playing my part in creating a winning future," said Divac, who has been in charge of the club's front office for the past year. "I know that we have what it takes to be a successful franchise and I look forward to continuing to improve and build on the progress that we've made."

Sources told ESPN that Divac's signing is the first step in the Kings' plan to beef up their basketball department, with the club also in the advanced stages of hiring another seasoned NBA executive to work alongside Divac.

Sources told ESPN this week that veteran NBA front-office executive David Morway, after stints with the Indiana Pacers and Milwaukee Bucks, has emerged as the leading candidate to join the organization in that role.

Morway spent 13 seasons with the Pacers, working closely with both Donnie Walsh and then Larry Bird, before moving to Milwaukee for the 2013-14 and 2014-15 seasons.

After a storied playing career that included a six-season run in Sacramento, Divac rejoined the Kings organization in early 2015 as vice president of franchise operations before being installed as the new head of Sacramento's front office by Kings owner Vivek Ranadive last spring.

With Ranadive openly hopeful for a playoff berth in the Kings' final season at Sleep Train Arena, they've instead endured a rocky campaign that -- until a dramatic about-face from management in February -- nearly cost coach George Karl his job at midseason.

The Kings are 29-45 entering Wednesday's play and are poised to miss the playoffs for the 10th consecutive season. Tanks to ongoing struggles and longstanding tension between Karl and star center DeMarcus Cousins , Sacramento is widely expected in league circles to undertake a coaching search at season's end that allows Divac to make his own hire.

Although he didn't replace former interim coach Ty Corbin until February 2015, Karl was in place as the Kings' coach before Divac ascended to his position of vice president of basketball operations and general manager.