Frustration is high right now with the Sacramento Kings. After spending money in the offseason, the team remains out of contention in the Western Conference with the playoffs nearly out of reach. To make matters worse, drama continues to mount between DeMarcus Cousins and head coach George Karl which could cause the Kings to be forced to decide between one or the other come the offseason.
Cousins and Karl are not getting along. They have not gotten along since the head coach was hired. Cousins made things worse on Monday, saying Karl is the reason he was suspended for a game. The center insisted that it was the head coach who wanted him out and not the organization and that the two have not spoken since. Karl told the media that he was not going to feed into Cousins' comments, and owner Vlade Divac knows the real truth of the situation.
"It's been frustrating everybody," Karl said. "It's been frustrating for the owners, for Vlade (Divac) and the upper staff, for the trainers and the equipment managers. No one enjoys the moment of losing. But in the same sense, today is a new day and tomorrow's a chance to change that."
The drama surrounding the Kings will not change until the team makes a choice between Cousins and Karl. The two cannot co-exist on the court together. There is always interest in a trade for Cousins. The Boston Celtics have been linked to the center time and time again. The Dallas Mavericks could be another option along with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Cousins is one of the best centers in the league and is worth a lot to opponents in terms of a trade. But is that the best route for the Kings?
Cousins is a franchise player. Those types of guys do not come around often. If the Kings give up Cousins, they would have to hope they can entice someone like Al Horford or Hassan Whiteside to sign on, and right now Sacramento is not looking like a favorable destination. Players like Willie Cauley-Stein will not be enough to step in and fill the void of Cousins. Karl is the easier of the two to replace.
Cousins is not the only player frustrated on the Kings' roster right now, which should be telling to the organization. Rudy Gay admits this is one of the worst seasons of his basketball career. Rajon Rondo is already looking elsewhere in free agency.
"I don't think any of us have been a part of something like this," Gay said. "It's tough, it's very tough. I'm not going to sit here and be like I'm happy with how we're playing or what's going on this season, because I'm not. But it's tough and it's a growing experience."
The Cousins-Karl pairing is not working. The Kings must decide if it is worth it to get rid of the player they have been aiming to build their franchise around or if they should look elsewhere for a new head coach. The offseason will be interesting for the Kings yet again.
