Sacramento Kings general manager Pete D’Alessandro is finalizing a deal to return to a front-office job with the Denver Nuggets and Colorado Avalanche organizations, league sources told Yahoo Sports.

Pete D'Alessandro will serve in an operations position, answering to president Josh Kroenke. (Getty) More

D’Alessandro will serve in an operations position, answering to president Josh Kroenke, league sources said. A formal agreement and title will be completed on Thursday, sources said.

Kroenke Sports oversees the Nuggets, the NHL's Avalanche and Rapids MLS soccer franchise.

For D’Alessandro, this move is an escape hatch out of a Kings organization in which owner Vivek Ranadive usurped his authority as general manager. Ranadive hired Vlade Divac to oversee basketball operations, despite the fact that he hasn’t been around the NBA for a decade.

D’Alessandro went to the Kings three years ago from Denver, where he had been the assistant general manager under Masai Ujiri. D’Alessandro has a strong relationship with Nuggets GM Tim Connelly, and D’Alessandro’s role will allow for him to be a resource, when called upon, for Connelly.

Ranadive forced D’Alessandro to fire coach Michael Malone in December, but D’Alessandro’s arrival in Denver will have no negative impact on Malone’s candidacy to become Nuggets head coach, sources said. Connelly and Malone have a longstanding relationship and respect for each other, and D’Alessandro wouldn’t be working closely with the head coach. Malone is one of several candidates still being considered for the job, including interim coach Melvin Hunt.

D’Alessandro had a chance to return to his alma mater, St. John’s, as athletic director, but chose to stay in the NBA. St. John’s coach Chris Mullin had been pushing the university to bring D’Alessandro on board as AD, and the school had discussed contract terms with D’Alessandro, sources said.

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