New Sacramento Kings coach George Karl is looking to make his imprint on the franchise. Immediately after he was hired, the team traded for his former pupil in Denver, Andre Miller.
Now comes this report from Bleacher Report’s Howard Beck that indicates every single player on the Kings roster was available for trade at the deadline, All-Star center Demarcus Cousins included.
Karl wants players who move the ball and push the tempo, and that could mean wild upheaval on the Kings roster. Even DeMarcus Cousins, their franchise center, is not untouchable, according to a source with insight into Karl’s thinking. “At the trade deadline, everyone was available,” the person said. Including Cousins? “Every single person (on the Kings roster) was available.
The source went on to tell Beck that while Karl does not have a front office position in Sacramento, “he definitely has control” of player personnel decisions moving forward.
Beck also concluded that Denver Nuggets guard Ty Lawson was bandied about as a possibility in Sacramento. Though, it’s important to note that there wasn’t any talk between the Kings and Nuggets regarding a Cousins for Lawson swap.
Karl took over as the Kings head coach earlier this month after the team moved on from interim head coach Ty Corbin, who replaced Mike Malone earlier in the year.
Remember, there was talk that Cousins’ camp was not necessarily thrilled with the idea of the Kings bringing Karl in to coach. It would seem that his enigmatic personality wouldn’t mesh well with a coach that possesses a near quarter century of NBA experience.
If the Kings were to move Cousins following the season, the expectation would have to be that they would get more than someone of Lawson’s caliber in a deal. The former No. 5 overall pick from Kentucky is averaging 23.7 points and 12.2 rebounds per game this season.
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