Report: George Karl Could Lose His Job By The End Of The Week

The Sacramento Kings started getting close to the edge of a bottomless pit this past offseason, but the last few days have seen them take a few more crucial steps towards oblivion. Yesterday brought us a morose DeMarcus Cousins talking about “issues in house,” and today brings word that George Karl may be out of a job before his team even plays 15 games.

Here’s the latest, from USA Today’s Sam Amick:

If the Kings’ 1-7 record that prompted a team meeting on Tuesday gets even worse, his dismissal could come this week. Wednesday, the Kings – as irony would have it – face the same Detroit Pistons team that beat them last Dec. 13 and inspired the firing of coach Michael Malone. Or, should the early-season bleeding subside enough to calm the waters, Karl’s firing could come in the summer.

Whether it’s this week or in the summer, it seems like Karl’s firing is inevitable. This was always how it was going to end for Karl, from the moment he started agitating for superstar center DeMarcus Cousins to be traded. Their relationship doesn’t seem to have gotten any better— The Big Lead reported today that Cousins recently cursed out Karl in front of the whole team—and not even Vivek Ranadive is dumb enough to keep a coach, no matter how good he might be, over a star like Cousins.

The worst part is that Cousins-Karl beef is just one of the many things that’s turned the franchise toxic, and although getting rid of Karl might make Cousins happier, it doesn’t fix many other problems. This is still a team with a bumbling front office, a generally bad and overpaid lineup, and a meager stockpile of draft picks. It’s bad in Sacramento, and it’s probably only going to get worse from here.

Photo via Getty

[ USA Today]