NBA Rumors: Sacramento Kings Target Luke Walton Deal; Warriors Coach Favors DeMarcus Cousins, Rudy Gay over Carmelo Anthony

By Mitch de Leon
DeMarcus Cousins
The Sacramento Kings are reportedly looking for trade partners to sign DeMarcus Cousins. Mike/Wikimedia Commons

The Sacramento Kings ended their NBA season with disgruntled players and without a head coach. In a surprise move, the head office decided to fire George Karl in an effort to start anew by the next season. Given the talent in the roster courtesy of DeMarcus Cousins, Rajon Rondo and Rudy Gay, the Sacramento Kings badly need a head coach who can hone these stars and make them champions. Sources claim that one name is deemed fit for the job: Golden State Warriors assistant coach Luke Walton.

Walton has been linked to a number of NBA teams this season including the New York Knicks and Los Angeles Lakers. While the Golden State Warriors coach remains mum on the issue, sources are saying that he will be out of the Stephen Curry squad by the next season. If that's the case, a chance to coach the explosive big man - DeMarcus Cousins - would be a significant change for someone used to players like Klay Thompson and Harrison Barnes. Will Luke Walton be up for the challenge?

"I love my job here," Walton shared of his post in the Golden State Warriors. He added, "I absolutely love it. I love the playoff battles that we're in right now. We've got prep work to do. Every bit of focus right now should be in the playoffs. So any questions I'm asked about anything else is a distraction in my opinion, and then I'm being selfish. So I'm not answering anything about anything except for our team and the playoffs."

It is widely known that some of the issues of the Sacramento Kings during the NBA season stemmed from the rift between former head coach George Karl and Cousins. With the temper and aggression of both parties, speculations arose that the two have been trying to get each other fired throughout the season. Can Walton handle this kind of aggression? Can the Golden State Warriors coach deal with the pressure?

"I don't want to understate his value, what he did," shared Barnes of Walton's contributions during the absence of Steve Kerr. The Golden State Warriors star added, "He came in and did a great job. He coached some tough games, and we're really appreciative that we had somebody who was able to step in. He didn't have a whole summer to prepare. He had a few days to step in and assume that role, but he did a great job of orchestrating everything."

Does this mean that Walton can do the same thing for the Sacramento Kings? Can he simply step in and fix the system? Is he capable of handling the likes of DeMarcus Cousins, Rajon Rondo and Rudy Gay? What will he do with the impending free agency of Seth Curry?

While Walton has yet to comment on the issue, a recent Gospel Herald report shared that the Golden State Warriors coach rejected the idea of going to New York to coach Carmelo Anthony and Kristaps Porzingis. It remains to be seen if the people around him will also advise him against signing with the Sacramento Kings. Amid the uncertainties, Steve Kerr voiced out his support for Walton.

The Golden State Warriors head coach said, "Luke is gonna be a head coach some day, but he's gonna be deliberate about how he goes about it, which is smart. He's got good options, I think he'll continue to have good options. He's in a good place."

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