John Calipari has been linked to numerous NBA head coaching jobs over the past several years, and he has obviously turned down any formal offers he has received. But if the Sacramento Kings have their way, he simply won’t be able to say no to the next offer they make him.
According to Ric Bucher of Bleacher Report, Kings owner Vivek Ranadive’s “biggest dream” is to hire Calipari as his next head coach.
“The belief is that Ranadive will take another run Calipari and plans to make an offer that Calipari simply cannot refuse,” Bucher said earlier this week. “Does that mean a piece of the team? Does that mean control over personnel? … It is clear that the apple of Ranadive’s eye is ultimately Calipari.”
The Kings are off to a 4-9 start, and there is a growing belief that George Karl will not make it through the end of the season. We already know about the poor relationship between Karl and DeMarcus Cousins, and Rajon Rondo has also indicated he is struggling to get along with Karl (though he later claimed he was joking).
Calipari and the Kings reportedly had discussions over the summer, but the Kentucky coach once again reiterated that he has no interest in abandoning the Wildcats. He is said to have turned down at least one other NBA job before that.
If you’re not convinced Karl is on his way out, just read these comments from Cousins. At some point, Calipari will probably get the itch to coach in the NBA again, especially after how poorly his first stint turned out. Ranadive wants to be the first phone call Calipari makes if that day comes.
