--Despite the fact that the Kings' third coaching search in the last four offseasons got off to a slow start, there was no shortage of media chatter about potential new hires.
According to The Sacramento Bee, New Orleans coach Byron Scott was intrigued by the position and hopeful of landing in Sacramento by either a buyout scenario pertaining to his Hornets' deal or perhaps after a firing from New Orleans owner George Shinn. Neither scenario has unfolded, though, and the Hornets have publicly announced that Scott will return for the final season of his contract. --Rick Pitino was also reportedly interested enough in the Kings' job to relay word to the team's ownership -- the Maloofs -- about his desires, although the Louisville coach released a statement indicating that was not the case.
Pitino, who spent six seasons as a head coach in New York and Boston, remains under contract at Louisville. Ironically, he played a pivotal part in the Kings' last coaching search in 2007. When former coach and former Louisville assistant Reggie Theus was being considered for the post, Kings general manager Geoff Petrie consulted with Pitino about the hire. At the time, he said his conversations with Pitino made him more comfortable with a decision that was made largely by the Maloofs.
QUOTE TO NOTE: "We knew the team needed to be rebuilt. We tried to do that (by) keeping some level of veteran players that would sort of stabilize us while the younger players tried to develop, but we weren't winning enough that way either. We're now really into major rebuilding." -- Kings president of basketball operations Geoff Petrie.
