Sacramento Kings sale: Keith Smart says uncertainty is 'tough' on players

While many of the opinions and emotions involved in the Sacramento Kings' sale are coming from the fans from Seattle and Sacramento, what is been overlooked is how the reports, rumors and eventual sale have meddled with the team itself.

Before Sacramento's afternoon game against the New Orleans Hornets on Monday, Kings head coach Keith Smart said that he's had to focus his players on the tasks at hand rather than worry about where they might be living in the future.

Per Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee:

"It's always tough on the people involved or anytime change takes place and there is a lot of uncertainty. We feel for the fans that have been there for us but this is the nature of the business. From a coach's standpoint, I've got to get this team ready to play night in and night out. The players have a great ability to put situations like this aside and play the game without letting it affect them."

The Kings surely don't need any additional distraction.

Sacramento is 16-25 and could use this favorable stretch of the schedule to gain any bit of momentum. Smart has led the team to a win in three of its last four games in a six-game stretch against bottom-dwellers like Cleveland, Washington, Charlotte, New Orleans and Phoenix.

A lone loss to the Memphis Grizzlies was the only game against a winning team.