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As ESPN scribes Marc Stein and Chris Broussard reported Wednesday evening, the Sacramento Kings will soon hire George Karl as head coach, with the 63-year-old slated to take over after the NBA All-Star Break, barring "a dramatic and unexpected collapse in the final stage of negotiations."
The Kings' hire of Karl, once official, will take the Orlando Magic out of the running for arguably the best and most accomplished coach on the market. Orlando parted ways with Jacque Vaughn on Thursday and has promoted James Borrego as interim coach on a "day-by-day" basis.
Days after Vaughn's firing, Karl took to Twitter to comment on the vacancy. "Love the skills and speed of the Magic and the great young players throughout the league!" he wrote. He also retweeted a photo manipulation of him in a Magic huddle.
Other free-agent coaches who may be available are Scott Skiles, a former Magic guard; Mark Jackson; Mike Malone, whom the Kings dismissed in December; and Vinny Del Negro.