DeMarcus Cousins: No point in talking to Kings brass about 'coward move'

ESPN logo
Friday, February 24, 2017

Despite saying he's "not sour ... not mad" about being traded to the New Orleans Pelicans, DeMarcus Cousinshas resentment about the way things went down Sunday and has no desire to talk to Sacramento Kings owner Vivek Ranadive or general manager Vlade Divac.

"Nah. For what?" Cousins told The Undefeated's Marc J. Spearson Thursday. "It was a coward move, so I'm pretty sure I will get a coward response. For what? And I've seen this happen before. I've been there through all same types ... I was there with [coach] Mike Malone's [firing]. I've seen how they operate. I know what kind of answer I will get anyway. So, what is the point?"

Moments after playing in the NBA All-Star Game, Cousins found out he and Omri Casspihad been traded by the Kings to the Pelicans for rookie Buddy Hield, Tyreke Evans, Langston Galloway, a 2017 first-round pick and a 2017 second-rounder.

Cousins, who said he had been told by the Kings that he wouldn't be traded, became emotional after hearing the news.

"I haven't cried in a long time," Cousins told The Undefeated. "... It hit me like, 'This s--- is really happening.' It was something that I never expected to happen. I was also told [a trade] wouldn't happen, so ..."

Cousins, who said it was "good to just get back to basketball," scored 27 points in his Pelicans debut on Thursday night. He told The Undefeated that he was more hurt by leaving behind everything that he had built up in Sacramento.

"I'm more hurt by that," Cousins said. "Being away from those relationships and the community, I'm more hurt by that because of the dishonesty and all that s--- with the organization."

Related Video