Sacramento Kings star DeMarcus Cousins could demand to be traded if the team decides to hire George Karl, according to NBA insider Ric Bucher.
Cousins sparked criticism and wonder when, answering questions about the Kings recent play and the possibility that the team hires Karl after a recent game, he went on a bizarre rant that included the line: “How you going to stop God’s plan?”
Cousins also noted that he’s been put through a lot in Sacramento, including the firing of coach Michael Malone earlier this season.
The problem with hiring Karl is that Cousins was told earlier in the season that Karl would not be the right coach for him, a source told Bucher.
“Forget the semantics over when, or even if, Karl is hired. Cousins has been told it’s what the Kings want to do after being told it wasn’t, which raises a serious question: How much does owner Vivek Ranadive really value Cousins?” Bucher wrote.
Ranadive told Cousins that he was forced to fire Malone because Malone didn’t get along with general manager Pete D'Alessandro and had been insubordinate by missing a meeting. Cousins insisted that Sacramento hire a veteran head coach, with former Warriors coach Mark Jackson as his preference. But Ranadive was convinced by the Kings staff to leave interim coach Ty Corbin in place until the end of the season.
That decision was relayed to Cousins, but management emphasized to the star that he would be consulted on whatever moves were made in the future, including the coaching search.
That has now changed quickly, with D'Alessandro convincing Ranadive to take a chance on Karl, despite concerns from Cousins.
