The Sacramento Kings are apparently looking to make their already disheveled situation even more of a wreck.
According to Yahoo’s Adrian Wojnarowski — also known as the constant thorn in Sacramento’s side — owner Vivek Ranadive is leading the charge to hire University of Kentucky head coach John Calipari. Ranadive wants Cal in a duel, coach and general manager role, too, and they’re willing to pay Doc Rivers-type money to make it happen (they’ll have to because Cal was just extended at Kentucky). Here’s Woj:
No formal offer has been made to Calipari, and Kings ownership understands that it will take a multiyear financial package of $10 million-plus annually to get Calipari to seriously consider leaving Kentucky, sources said.
This, of course, creates complications with current head coach George Karl. Apparently, “ownership” is diligently looking for a way to fire Karl without penalty. Sacramento’s lawyers are supposedly studying Karl’s contract to look for a way out for cause, so they’re not on the hook for the remainder.
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. If the Kings cannot convince Calipari to come to Sacramento – or never make a formal offer – Karl could simply remain as coach.
For his part, Calipari denies the veracity of Wojnarowski’s report on Twitter.
For the 100th time, I have the best basketball coaching position in the world. I am not looking for any other coaching position.
— John Calipari (@UKCoachCalipari) June 30, 2015
He did admit to communicating with Ranadive recently about DeMarcus Cousins and about Sacramento’s first-round pick, Willie Cauley-Stein.
Since he bought the team, @Vivek and I have talked on and off about @boogiecousins.
— John Calipari (@UKCoachCalipari) June 30, 2015
.@Vivek has asked me what I thought about @boogiecousins and I told him he would be an all-star, and I was right.
— John Calipari (@UKCoachCalipari) June 30, 2015
In the last two weeks, we’ve also talked a bunch about the draft and on draft day, obviously because of @ThewillieCS15.
— John Calipari (@UKCoachCalipari) June 30, 2015
But Cal reaffirms he hasn’t been offered a job with the Kings, something Wojnarowski also writes.
At no time has @Vivek offered me a job. I WILL BE AT KENTUCKY.
— John Calipari (@UKCoachCalipari) June 30, 2015
The Kings, for their part, are also denying the report by Yahoo:
For the record, Kings also say no truth to the Calipari report.
— Jason Jones (@mr_jasonjones) June 30, 2015
Whatever the case, Ranadive and the Kings have been the most entertaining sitcom so far this summer.
(Via Yahoo Sports)
