NBA News & Rumors: Sacramento Kings Close to Naming George Karl as Coach, Will DeMarcus Cousins Intervene?
The Sacramento Kings are reportedly close to naming George Karl as their new coach and will take over once the team returns from the upcoming 2015 NBA All-Star weekend.
ESPN reported that "only a dramatic and unexpected collapse" in the talks can prevent the veteran coach from replacing interim coach Ty Corbin, who went 7-19 since the Kings surprisingly fired Mike Malone in December.
Sources said the two teams are still working on the financial details of the proposed four-year deal. The two camps are reportedly trying to negotiate on the fourth year of the deal -- whether to make it a team option or fully guaranteed.
The two camps are not in a hurry to announce a deal reportedly because the Kings have already informed Corbin that he will still coach against the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday. The interim coach admitted the past few days have been tough for him and the team, but he is ready to accept his fate.
"I've been through a lot in this league," Corbin told reporters following their 104-86 loss to the Chicago Bulls on Tuesday. "I played for 16 years, I've coached for 12 years. It's been a difficult time, but it's part of being in this league. I can't feel sorry for myself and allow these guys to feel sorry for themselves."
Previous reports also indicated that superstar DeMarcus Cousins and his camp are opposing the plan to hire Karl as new coach. One of Cousins' agent, Jarinn Akana, reportedly has something against Karl after he was demoted from being an assistant coach to a team scout when the Denver Nuggets named Karl as coach in 2005.
When asked about reports suggesting that they are not in favor of hiring Karl as coach, Cousins reiterated that he is not involved in the process of hiring a permanent coach and will support their front office's decision.
"I'm not involved in any coaching decisions right now," Cousins said. "I've heard that George Karl is a great coach. If that is the direction that the organization chooses, I'll support it. Out of respect for Coach Corbin, I hadn't planned on making any comments about what is rumored out there. But at this point I felt some things needed to be clarified."
Cousins and the Kings are currently in 13th place in the Western Conference standings with their 18-33 record.
For the latest sports news, follow Latin Post Sports on Twitter.
FOR MORE NBA UPDATES, TRADE AND FREE AGENCY NEWS, CLICK ON THIS LINK TO VISIT LATIN POST.COM'S SPORTS PAGE.
* This is a contributed article and this content does not necessarily represent the views of latinpost.com