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.
Ranadive's displeasure with Karl stems from the coach's desire to trade All-Star center DeMarcus Cousins, according to a source with knowledge of the situation.
No potential replacement for Karl has been mentioned or considered, and while removing Karl would appease Cousins, it would not necessarily end the dysfunction that is crippling the franchise, the source said.
"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."
A huge fan of Cousins, Ranadive has been steadfast in refusing to grant Karl's wish, but Karl's attempts to have Cousins moved have worsened an already poor relationship between the coach and player.
There was pushback from Cousins' camp when the Kings hired Karl, and the Sacramento Bee reported that Cousins and Karl haven't spoken for months.
