The Sacramento Kings are reportedly interested in hiring George Karl after they fired Mike Malone on Monday, with assistant Tyrone Corbin taking over on an interim basis.

ESPN analyst Karl has emerged as a serious target to replace Malone in the long term, partly due to spending time working with general manager Pete D'Alessandro during their stint in Denver.

"I'm humbled," Karl told SiriusXM. "If they're interested in me, I'm interested in them."

Speculation has suggested that Karl is eager to get back into the league and he has been searching for the right fit with a team after being fired by the Nuggets.

Karl led the franchise to a 57-win season in 2012-13 and it earned him the Coach of the Year award.

However, he is expected to face competition for the Kings role with Mark Jackson and Vinny Del Negro also linked with the post.