DeMarcus Cousins #0 of the New Orleans Pelicans reacts during the second half of a game against the Houston Rockets at the Smoothie King Center on February 23, 2017 in New Orleans, Louisiana.Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images/AFP
All-Star center DeMarcus Cousins branded the Sacramento Kings’ handling of his trade to the New Orleans Pelicans as “a coward move” in an interview published on Friday.
Cousins vented his frustration on The Undefeated website, saying he had no interest in talking to Kings owner Vivek Ranadive or general manager Vlade Divac about why the team didn’t make good on a promise not to trade him.
“Nah. For what? It was a coward move, so I’m pretty sure I will get a coward response,” said Cousins, who was traded on Monday, just a day after playing in the All Star game.
“For what? And I’ve seen this happen before… I was there with (coach) Mike Malone’s (firing in 2014). I’ve seen how they operate. I know what kind of answer I will get anyway. So, what is the point?”
Cousins indicated he felt betrayed by Divac, who visited the player’s home and told him he wouldn’t be traded as they discussed ways to improve the team.
“The sick part about it is that Vlade came in my house with my agent,” Cousins said.
“We sat in my theater and just talked. That was maybe three weeks ago. We sat there and (he) told me what moves he wanted to make. All of that. I just didn’t understand.
“I got a text from the owner right before I went to All-Star (Game). He was asking me about a player, how I felt about him and making a move. The owner! When it happened, I was just in shock. I didn’t understand.”
Cousins learned about the trade after playing in the All-Star Game — but not from Ranadive or Divac.
“The more those guys talk, the more things come out,” Cousins said. “It’s just crazy. This ain’t something that happened in a few days. It has been discussed with more than one team. I just don’t understand.”