NBA Rumors: Kings Considering Firing Coach George Karl over DeMarcus Cousins

By Cheri Cheng - 26 Jun '15 12:00PM

Sacramento Kings head coach George Karl might be getting the boot if he does not change his mind in regards to trading DeMarcus Cousins. ESPN.com's Chris Broussard reported that owner Vivek Ranadivé, who wants to keep the powerful All-Star center in Sacramento, has considered firing Karl.

Broussard wrote:

"Sacramento Kings owner Vivek Ranadive has considered firing George Karl, who was hired as coach four months ago to help turn around the struggling franchise. During the hiring process, Karl told Ranadive he was looking forward to coaching Cousins. But shortly after taking over the team, sources say Karl soured on Cousins. The quick about-face baffled and upset Ranadive, sources said. No firing is imminent, but in discussions with members of the Kings' basketball department, Ranadive has broached the subject of whether the team should get rid of Karl."

A source added, "He's brought up the possibility of getting rid of George over the last few days."

Despite the desire to fire Karl, doing so might not be the Kings' best option at the moment. The Kings have already gone through three coaches including Karl, all within one season. By firing Karl, the Kings would appear even more disorganized. A source also noted that if they fire Karl, it would send a message to Cousins that he runs the team.

"If you fire Karl, now you can't control Cousins because he'll know he's running the place," the source said. "Now he'll feel like he's telling you what to do."

Firing Karl would also be costly. Karl signed a four-year deal in February worth $14.5 million. The final-year in the contract was not guaranteed and included a $1.5 million buyout. He is guaranteed $11 million.

Rumors were swirling before the 2015 NBA draft that the Karl was actively trying to trade Cousins. The frontrunner was reportedly the Los Angeles Lakers, who notably did not draft center Jahlil Okafor, much to the surprise of many. The Lakers went with point guard, D'Angelo Russell.

Cousins has not addressed these rumors. However, he has posted some very vague tweets.