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Gary Payton tells me he has had conversations with Chris Hansen about joining the front office if Seattle gets...

the Kings next season. The former SuperSonics great, who lives in Las Vegas but maintains close ties to Seattle, said he and Hansen, who has closed a deal to buy the Kings and is awaiting league approval, have talked about Payton joining a new front office in a real role in the personnel department. The Glove said he does not expect to be general manager, but thinks he could step in as an assistant GM. "He knows," Payton said. "... He would want me to be a part of the team."