HOOPSWORLD | Basketball News & NBA Rumors

The Sacramento Kings have the worst record in the NBA and are near the bottom of the league in every statistical category. Going into the season, the organization expected the team to make strides and solidify themselves as one of league’s up-and-coming franchises.

That hasn’t been the case thus far and many in Sacramento are pointing the finger at head coach Paul Westphal after the team’s 5-21 start.

Sources close to the situation say that Westphal has "all but lost his team" as well as the confidence of the Maloofs. Players, who expected improvement this season, believe that Westphal’s rotations and actions have made it nearly impossible for the young team to find success.

Behind closed doors, the players have questioned his philosophy and decision making throughout the season and only see things getting worse the longer he is on the bench.

Westphal’s actions have made him quite the enemy in the locker room. One player explained that the losses are frustrating enough, but how Westphal has handled the struggles has only made things worse. His distribution of minutes and decisions to fine and bench players has come under fire from the group.

One source says that many of the players "thought they’d be playing and winning" coming into the season so this start has been tough to swallow. The Kings have not lived up to their expectations and the team’s "veterans and should-be stars" believe that Westphal is to blame.

On Wednesday, Westphal made headlines when he benched rookie DeMarcus Cousins indefinitely for recently taunting the Golden State Warriors with a choking gesture. In November, Westphal and Cousins got into a heated exchange that resulted in the rookie being thrown out of practice.

When teams encounter problems in the NBA, coaches are often the first to lose their job as a result. But Westphal’s job is even less secure than his peers because he is the lowest paid coach in the NBA, making just $1.5 million this year.

If the Kings decide to fire Westphal this season, there are many coaches looking for, at the very least, an interim job. After the Charlotte Bobcats decided to part ways with Larry Brown on Wednesday, many interested candidates surfaced for the head coaching job.

Former Atlanta Hawks head coach Mike Woodson was among those considered for the job before Paul Silas was hired as the team’s interim coach. Orlando Magic assistant coach Patrick Ewing, Utah Jazz assistant Tyrone Corbin, San Antonio Spurs assistant Mike Budenholzer, Phoenix Suns assistant Dan Majerle and Detroit Pistons assistant Darrell Walker were also discussed, according to reports.

Westphal’s firing is not imminent, but it’s safe to say that his players are disgruntled and drastic changes will need to be made in order to save the season and secure his job.

Teams Calling for Barron: After going unsigned over the summer, many teams contacted free agent Earl Barron and made it clear that there would be a spot for the center should injuries occur during the season. Now, as big men around the league go down, teams are once again calling Barron and expressing interest in his services.

Barron was recently waived by the Phoenix Suns after a twelve-game stint with the team. He was serviceable throughout the stretch, starting in six games and giving the team a reliable big while Robin Lopez was sidelined with a sprained left knee.

While overseas teams are offering the most money, Barron has made it clear that he wants to remain in the NBA. He turned down large offers from Maccabi Tel Aviv and several teams in China over the offseason and he’s still focused on continuing his NBA career.

The New York Knicks and Chicago Bulls are the two teams expressing the most interest in Barron. They inquired about the center after the Suns released him and have been in contact with his camp.

{AUTHOR_BOX}The Orlando Magic are searching for a big man, but sources close to the situation say that the team will not sign Barron "at the moment." They want to see how their current roster looks before rushing into more moves and could be exploring other avenues to acquire a reserve center.

Sources close to the Knicks say that the team has been looking for a reserve big and that there is interest in Barron. The team spoke with his camp on Wednesday and bringing Barron back, after he played seven games with the Knicks at the end of last season, remains a possibility.

The Bulls have been doing their homework on available centers since losing Joakim Noah for six-to-ten weeks. Chicago had discussions with Barron over the offseason and put him on their short list of players they would call should frontcourt injuries occur throughout the season. Sure enough, since Noah’s injury the team has reached out to Barron’s camp and made their interest well known.

No deal is imminent for Barron as teams continue to discuss their options, but based on the amount of interest he has received in the twenty-four hours since being waived, it appears he’ll be on another roster very soon.

NBA News and Notes: Here are some items from this week’s news and notes bin.

•  Gilbert Arenas is still adjusting in Orlando, as evidenced by his Tuesday adventure in the Amway Center. After the Magic ended their walkthrough in their attached practice facility, the players dispersed throughout the arena. Some went straight to the court for shootaround, others made their way to the locker room. That’s where Arenas tried to go, but got lost after being separated from the group. He eventually peeked his head into the locker room and let out a "whew" when he realized he had finally found his way back.

•  Parrot has partnered with Steve Nash to launch the AR. Drone. As Nash demonstrates in a series of online videos found on the Parrot Facebook page, the AR.Drone is a quadricopter that has a live video feed from inside the cockpit. It is piloted using an iPod touch, iPhone or iPad and Nash has created several challenges that include landing the copter in a basketball hoop. Parrot is giving away an AR.Drone and the details are located on that page.

•  Earl Clark and Mickael Pietrus swapped teams after the Orlando Magic and Phoenix Suns completed a six-player trade over the weekend, but they may end up renting one another’s houses. It’s common in the NBA for players who are traded in the middle of the season to rent a house and sometimes, the two players involved can work out a temporary swap that gives each a place to stay. Clark and Pietrus are trying to work out a similar arrangement. For now, both are staying in a hotel because the NBA allows teams to provide players with a room for forty-five days after a trade.