DeMarcus Cousins feels disrespected after trade to Pelicans
By Kparrish Jr
Boogie was shocked that the Kings would really send him away.
For the past couple of years, DeMarcus Cousins has headlined the NBA trading deadline and reports of him heading elsewhere have become a natural thing as the NBA Finals were played in June. When talks heated up after the All-Star Game suggesting Sacramento was engaging in heated discussions, people shrugged it off until Adrian Wojnarowski broke the story: “Sacramento has agreed to trade DeMarcus Cousins to the New Orleans Pelicans.”
The shock came because these rumors had sprouted up every February and nothing ever came of them. In an interview with ESPN’s The Undefeated, even Cousins admitted how the news caught him off-guard.
"“I haven’t cried in a long time. It just broke me down. It hit me like, “This **** is really happening.”"
Cousins wasn’t perfect by any means. Sacramento questioned Cousins’ immaturity and temper enough to resist giving him the $219 he was eligible to sign this summer. His league leading 19 technical fouls this season didn’t help his case either. Yet, general manager Vlade Divac elected to pledge loyalty to Cousins, telling ESPN’s Marc Stein, “We’re not trading DeMarcus, we hope he’s here for a long time.”
Shaping a long-term marriage seemed inevitable, especially after ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne reported “Cousins intends to sign an extension with the Kings this summer because he wants his “legacy to end in Sacramento” and his “jersey to be in the rafters in Sacramento.”
Teams deciding to move on from their franchise player is normal. Stuff happens all the time. Injuries occur, and players get unhappy, looking to leave in free agency or requesting their way out. But that wasn’t the case for Cousins. He’s said time and time again, “I love Sacramento.” Cousins trusted that franchise in spite of upper management’s perpetually shaky history with coaches.
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Still, Sacramento decided to double-cross Cousins after telling him and his manager Andrew Rogers he wouldn’t be traded. Think what you want about Cousins, but he’s right for feeling disrespected.