The former Celtics forward and Pacers president met with Sacramento Kings owner Vivek Ranadive on Wednesday to discuss the possibility of Bird returning to the NBA to serve as president of basketball operations for the Kings, according to NBC Sports.
Ranadive recently gained ownership of the Sacramento franchise and has already been active, hiring former Warriors assistant Mike Malone as the new head coach. Adding Bird to the staff might be the next move for Ranadive, and it wouldn’t be a bad one, as the Hall of Famer is the only person in history to win Most Valuable Player, Coach of the Year and Executive of the Year in the NBA.
During his tenure as president of the Pacers, Bird played a pivotal role in rebuilding the roster that just took the reigning NBA champions to seven games in the Eastern Conference Finals. If he were to accept a new role with the Kings, another roster overhaul could be in sight.
Because guard Tyreke Evans is an unrestricted free agent, the new president and general manager will have to decide whether they are going to overpay for the 23-year-old from Memphis, or let him go for nothing in return. But that isn’t the only dilemma Bird could potentially face. DeMarcus Cousins is considered by many to be a clubhouse cancer and, coupled with more trigger-happy guards in John Salmons and Marcus Thornton, the Kings don’t seem to have a roster that will result in short- or long-term success.
Ultimately, the decisions is Larry Legend’s to make. But one thing is certain — with or without Bird — change is inevitable for the capital city franchise in California.
