Alvin Gentry joins Kings front office as Vice President of Basketball Engagement

As many predicted, former Sacramento Kings interim head coach Alvin Gentry will stay with the team in a front office role. According to a report from Shams Charania of The Athletic on Monday, Gentry will serve as the Kings’ Vice President of Basketball Engagement.

The road to Sacramento has been rocky for the veteran coach, serving two seasons as an assistant to Luke Walton before taking over as interim head coach following Walton’s firing in November 2021.

During this past season, Gentry made it clear that his intentions of coaching the team on an interim basis were largely around the notion that he wasn’t interested in a brief stop or a curtain call. So what exactly will Gentry be doing for Sacramento?

According to Charania’s report, Gentry will head to Chicago this week alongside Kings general manager Monte McNair to participate in the NBA Draft Combine. He will also assist with overall evaluation of players and building out strategy within the organization.

Gentry will also travel with the NBA G League’s affiliate in Stockton, although he will be based at the Sacramento office. His role will also extend to college sites for prospective scouting.

On paper, it seems that Gentry will be responsible for draft insight rather than the current formation of the roster. The recent hiring of Mike Brown as head coach does thread the needle of experience as the two come from the Golden State Warriors coaching tree, but in terms of day-to-day basketball operations, it’s yet to be seen what Gentry’s true impact will be.