Kings interested in Lakers assistant director of scouting Ryan West, according to report

The Sacramento Kings are preparing for even more changes in their front office with general manager Pete D'Allesandro re-joining the Denver Nuggets' in an executive role, and their attention may turn to the Los Angeles Lakers for a solution. Kings executive Vlade Divac has "serious interest" in bringing Lakers assistant director of scouting -- and son of Jerry West -- Ryan West into their front office, reports Sam Amick of USA Today Sports.

Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak has been working with Ryan for years, familiar with him from when Jerry was still a part of the organization. Mitch had extremely high praise for the up-and-coming behind the scenes talent, describing him as someone "eager, bright and [who] loves to work," in an extensive profile of West written by Kevin Ding of Bleacher Report.

That same profile also paints a picture of the Lakers operating as a family with the Buss, West and Bertka presence building a strong front office bond. The final quote to close out the piece is from Ryan West. "I bleed purple and gold." It's likely a very early report as the Kings try to get their ducks back in a row, but it's worth keeping an eye on. If nothing else, it's a good sign that another team is interested in trying to poach the man leading the Lakers' scouting department -- and often described as a likely successor to Kupchak down the road -- away from LA.

The Lakers are in the midst of a huge operation as they scout an enormous amount of incoming talent. The numbers are staggering, as the team has auditioned 54 players since they began their pre-draft process on May 26, as accounted for by the Lakers' public relations manager Calder Hynes. Both West and Kupchak have been instrumental in sorting through the draftees.

Losing West would likely be considered a blow to the Lakers, but there's nothing indicating he'd consider Sacramento as the next step in his NBA career. If you're interested in knowing more about his role with the Lakers, Ding's profile on him is a great read.