In a surprise twist, Nuggets assistant general manager Pete D’Alessandro, considered a top candidate for the Denver GM job, instead has agreed to take the GM job with the Sacramento Kings. Nuggets president Josh Kroenke confirmed the report tweeted by Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports.

The Kings, under new ownership, have a revitalized spirit and are have been looking to lock in budding talent such as D’Alessandro and coach Mike Malone.

It’s unclear what direction the Nuggets will go now. One name floated out is Tony Di Leo, a former Philadelphia executive.

Previously asked about D’Alessandro, friend and former Golden State exec Chris Mullin said: “He’s the ideal guy. He’s got the experience now and he’s the whole package. He’s like one of the players that you don’t see coming, like (the Pacers’) Paul George, a star in the making. He knows his strengths, he empowers people around him. I loved working with him.”

The Nuggets were stunned when Ujiri left his job last week to become the Toronto Raptors’ general manager, and now the front-office executives, primarily team president Josh Kroenke, are regrouping. Meanwhile, the Nuggets’ scouting department continues to work in preparation for the NBA draft June 27.

The scouting department includes director of player personnel Mike Bratz, scout Herb Livsey and scouting coordinator Dan Tolzman. The Nuggets have one pick, 27th overall, in the draft.

As for D’Alessandro, he is respected in NBA circles for his creative statistics analysis and for his grasp of the salary cap. Ujiri always spoke glowingly about D’Alessandro, who was promoted in November to his VP position.

He just finished his third season with the Nuggets, working closely with Kroenke and Ujiri. From 2004-08, D’Alessandro worked in the Warriors’ front office, where he began as the director of basketball operations and was promoted to assistant general manager in 2006.

He got his start in the game at St. John’s, where he worked as a video coordinator for legendary coach Lou Carnesecca. He proceeded to get his law degree and work briefly in politics and also at a sports agency, before being hired in 2004 by Golden State.