Sacramento Kings owner Vivek Ranadive has kept his word by giving general manager Scott Perry complete discretion over the past four months, team sources said. Perry was hired in April with a mandate to create and build a sustainable winner, after Ranadive went through five front offices and eight coaches since purchasing the team in 2013.
“Vivek and I agree 100 percent and I think any suggestion to the contrary would be completely incorrect,” Perry said. “We talk all the time. It’s clear he’s passionate about his team, but we agree on the vision and we both understand that there may be some pain in the short term to make good gains in the long term.”
Perry represents the undisputed voice determining the direction of the franchise as the Kings sit at 8-29 with the league’s 28th-ranked defense and 29th-ranked offense. The organization is on the verge of missing the playoffs for the 19th time in 20 years.
The longer-term question remains whether Perry’s decision-making autonomy will endure during the inevitable challenges of a multi-year rebuild. Ranadive’s track record shows a pattern of reducing front office autonomy when results disappoint.
Former general manager Monte McNair and coach Mike Brown were said to have had significant autonomy in McNair’s early days after his hiring in September 2020. That freedom steadily diminished as McNair’s draft choices and roster changes failed to produce lasting success. Team sources indicated Ranadive took more control of McNair’s basketball operations before the 2024-25 season began.
Perry’s biggest decision came when he signed Keegan Murray to a five-year, $140 million extension with no opt-outs on either side. The deal ties Murray to Sacramento through the 2030-31 season as a cornerstone of the rebuild.
Perry’s plan focuses on six pillars, including competitiveness, strength, discipline, responsibility, team orientation and professionalism. The general manager openly desires positional size and defensive versatility as he builds a roster that fits a fast, physical approach.
“Six-eight, six-nine and a two-way player,” Perry said of Murray. “Extremely valuable.”
The Kings currently have the third-worst record in the league, which offers a 52.1 percent chance of a top-four pick in the 2026 draft. Perry called the upcoming draft class strong and emphasized that building the draft remains a priority.
Perry acknowledged that the road ahead will be difficult, but maintained that Ranadive supports the vision of long-term success rather than short-term solutions. The general manager said he will remain cautious and opportunistic and will not make hasty decisions under pressure.
“I use the phrase cautiously and opportunistically,” Perry said. “And I will continue to be that way. I’m not one to rush into anything. Don’t rush or panic.”
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