One of the things potentially standing in the way of the Sacramento Kings firing George Karl after just months on the job is the $10 million he’s owed over the final three years of his contract.
According to Yahoo Sports NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski, Kings’ brass is now looking into the viability of being able to fire Karl with cause:
“Sacramento ownership, dismayed over Karl’s fractured relationship with Cousins, has had lawyers studying Karl’s contract, trying to determine if there’s a way to terminate him for “cause,” and free themselves of the three years and nearly $10 million left guaranteed on his deal, league sources told Yahoo Sports.”
In this case, the cause would be Karl’s handling of the DeMarcus Cousins situation and the possibility that he misled the organization into believing he could work with the center during the interview process. Another thing to look at here is Karl’s reported attempt to enlist supporters from within the organization—players included—on the idea of trading Cousins.
If the Kings’ lawyers find it possible for the team to fire Karl with cause—something he’d fight tooth and nail—it’s possible the team could simply fire him. If not, the situation becomes more convoluted.
Remember, the Kings have reportedly “probed” the idea of hiring John Calipari, which would come at a likely $10-plus million annual clip. Adding into account Karl’s guaranteed salary, that’s a lot of dough.
And while the Kentucky head coach has denied there is any mutual interest in him taking over in Sacramento, the financial aspect of potentially firing Karl without cause will play role here no matter what.
Photo: USA Today Sports