George Karl Expected to Become Kings Head Coach After 2015 NBA All-Star Break

As expected, George Karl will reportedly become the next head coach of the Sacramento Kings. Karl will replace interim head coach Tyrone Corbin following this weekend's All-Star break, ending an elongated negotiations process that at times appeared close to breaking down.

Chris Broussard and Marc Stein of ESPN.com first reported the news. Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports reported Monday evening that Karl's deal will be for four years and worth $4-5 million per season.

On Tuesday, Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee reported the deal is official with Corbin still coaching Wednesday night's game. However, Yahoo Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski reported otherwise:

Ailene Voisin of The Sacramento Bee and Jones added further details:

ESPN's Marc Stein reported Friday as a possible day for the team announcing the move.   

Karl, 63, is one of the winningest coaches in NBA history. He's compiled a 1,131-756 NBA coaching record in 25 seasons across five franchises. His most recent post was a nine-year stint with the Denver Nuggets, during which the team made the playoffs each season. A Karl-led team has not missed the playoffs or finished below .500 since 1987-88, when he was fired by the Golden State Warriors.

The Kings, who fired Mike Malone after an 11-13 start, targeted Karl early in the process. While Corbin was expected to remain with the team through the end of this regular season, the Orlando Magic's recent firing of Jacque Vaughn expedited Sacramento's pursuit of Karl.

Focus in recent days has shifted to center DeMarcus Cousins, the mercurial star who built a solid relationship with Malone over the last two years. Jones of The Sacramento Bee and others reported on worries within the organization that Karl and Cousins would not get along. There was some speculation Cousins would even use his influence to block the hire.

Through Wojnarowski, Cousins released a statement denying he was trying to impede the hire:

"

DeMarcus Cousins statement: “I wasn’t consulted when the decision was made to fire Mike Malone and I’m not being consulted now." (Cont)

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojYahooNBA) February 10, 2015"

"

Cousins: "I just hope they make a decision soon and stick with it. George Karl is an experienced, proven coach ...."

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojYahooNBA) February 10, 2015"

"

Cousins: "...and if that is who they chose to coach this team, I will support it. I do not like all these discussions in the media while..."

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojYahooNBA) February 10, 2015"

"

Cousins: "...we have a coach in place. It is a distraction and not fair to Coach Corbin and this team.”

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojYahooNBA) February 10, 2015"

With Karl expected to be in place following the break, Cousins doesn't have much choice. The organization's decision to not include him in coaching decisions sends a clear message about which side is controlling the situation. We'll have to see whether or not this works out or makes an increasingly tenuous situation unworkable. 

Follow Tyler Conway (@tylerconway22) on Twitter.