What I mean is that if Pentax changes mounts, they run the risk of upsetting their current very hardcore user base that now owns a bunch of lenses nobody else w

What I mean is that if Pentax changes mounts, they run the risk of upsetting their current very hardcore user base that now owns a bunch of lenses nobody else will want that much. If they adopt an existing mount, they risk becoming less distinctive. They become an alternative body in some pre-existing lens ecosystem. And since the flange distance is so large, a K mirrorless will be rather fat and compare unfavorably to the existing mirrorless market. It'll also suffer from all the downsides of a long flange distance, like the difficulty of making good wide angle lenses. However you slice it, they're in a tricky position.