Report: DeMarcus Cousins tells Kings he doesn't want George Karl fired

By foxsports
Published

When the losses start to pile up, it's easy for a volatile situation to get out of hand. But if the Sacramento Kings can keep winning, the tension between center DeMarcus Cousins and coach George Karl could blow over.

According to a report from Sports Illustrated's Chris Mannix, Cousins has told the Kings front office that he doesn't want Karl fired, because another coaching transition will interfere with winning:

Still, sources on both sides believe the relationship is salvageable, at least for the rest of this season. Cousins wants to win and he knows playing for a fourth coach in the last two years isn’t going to get him any closer to it. He has made it clear to Kings executives that he doesn’t want Karl fired, according to sources. And Karl understands he can’t meet ownership's expectations without him.

Reports earlier in the week indicated that Karl's dismissal could be drawing near, but a win against the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday seemed to alleviate some of the pressure in Sacramento. After the game, Kings general manager Vlade Divac told reporters that Karl's job is "absolutely not" in jeopardy (via ESPN.com):

"Nothing has changed. I believe in him. I believe he is good for us. Yes, we struggle, but you can see the way we played tonight, we have the talent, and we will turn this around."

The Kings, who were 2-3 with Cousins in the lineup this season but winless in the four games he missed with an Achilles injury, followed Wednesday's win with another against the Brooklyn Nets at home on Friday night.