After months of speculation, the wait may be over. Our friend Aaron Bruski over at NBC’s Pro Basketball Talk started the rumor mill yesterday afternoon. And now Ailene Voisin of the Sacramento Bee has the Sacramento Kings engaged in formal negotiations to hire George Karl as their next head coach.
The Kings’ need for a head coach began with the firing of their old one, Michael Malone, on December 14. Malone oversaw a 9-5 start to the season before DeMarcus Cousins’ bout with viral meningitis derailed their momentum. The Kings fell to 11-13 when Malone was canned and replaced with Tyrone Corbin, who has gone 6-18 and 1-10 in his last 11 matches since.
If Karl is added, he would command instant credibility. The veteran head coach is sixth all-time in NBA victories with a 1,131-756 record, and has qualified for 22 playoff berths. Karl most recently coached in 2012-13, when he led the Denver Nuggets to a franchise-record 57-25 record and won Coach of the Year. He was fired after losing in the first round for the fourth-straight season.
Additionally, Kings general manager Pete D’Alessandro and Karl have experience working together from their time in Denver. D’Alessandro may have been pressed to bring in the coach now, rather than wait till the offseason after Karl expressed interest in joining the Orlando Magic for their recently vacated head coach position.
We will keep you updated as this story develops.
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