Things are once again not going well in Sacramento. The Kings are not in contention for the playoffs, leaving a lot of question marks swirling around the future of the franchise and their biggest stars. While the ownership has remained loyal to a number of players on the roster, that might no longer be easy as DeMarcus Cousins admits he is not happy with the franchise.

According to Marc Stein of ESPN.com, the Kings are considering firing George Karl, a move that has been tossed around before. General manager Vlade Divac has tried to remain positive, but as the losses pile up and issues grow, that might no longer be an option. One player not happy in Sacramento is Cousins who has been the face of the franchise, but could on his way out if the team looks to rebuild.

"I'm not going to keep blaming these guys in the locker room," Cousins said, via ESPN.com. "Energy and effort is a huge part of the game, but I'm not going to keep blaming it on that. We've got a bigger issue, and we need to figure it out as a team. I'd rather keep [problems] in house, but we definitely have a bigger issue than just energy and effort. That can't be the excuse every night. ... We're going to work it out as a team, and hopefully we can fix this."

Divac has remained committed to Cousins during all of the turmoil, but will he be able to keep that up if the center requests a trade. Cousins' value in the NBA is high and a number of teams would jump at the opportunity to offer the Kings a lot in a potential deal. With rebuilding come their way, letting Cousins go might help in the long run. Teams like the Los Angeles Lakers, Boston Celtics and Dallas Mavericks would all go big on a trade for Cousins which could give the Kings tools to rebuild with.

Another player expected to seek departure from the Kings is Rajon Rondo who is working on a one-year deal from the team. The point guard will hit free agency once again this summer and will be looking for a team ready to compete for a championship. That is not the Kings and will not be the Kings for awhile. As a result, Rondo is expected to depart. 

For now, the Kings will look for short-term ways to improve. Firing Karl may or may not be the outcome of that pursuit. The head coach told the media that he has heard the rumors, but is more focused on games than the news.

"I don't have any control over what other people are thinking or saying. That's their storm," Karl said, via ESPN.com. "My preference would be it wouldn't be there. But there's always energy today. Then once something gets out, it magnifies and grows and becomes a storm. That's not my storm."