Today, former Kings star Vlade Divac, who’s now the GM of the franchise, released the following statement about the move.
“It was time for a change and I decided this was the best direction for the organization. Winning begins with culture and character matters. With the upcoming draft class set to be one of the strongest in a decade, this trade will allow us to build the depth needed for a talented and developing roster moving forward. We thank DeMarcus for his contributions and wish him all the best in New Orleans. The fans in Sacramento are the best in the world and we are all committed to building a team that will continue to make Sacramento proud.”
Divac has publicly stated for weeks – and as recently as minutes before the trade was announced – that Cousins wasn’t going to move
Unbelievable
Vlade says he had a better offer for DeMarcus Cousins two days ago.
— Aaron Bruski (@aaronbruski) February 20, 2017
Character matters, says Vlade Divac, after signing Matt Barnes and Ty Lawson this offseason, + having Darren Collison remain on the roster
— Sam Vecenie (@Sam_Vecenie) February 20, 2017
Vlade Divac, weeks after pledging allegiance to DeMarcus Cousins, says in a statement announcing trade that "character matters." Unreal.
— Chris Mannix (@ChrisMannixYS) February 20, 2017
Signs Rajon Rondo
Signs Matt Barnes
Character matters
— Carmichael Dave (@CarmichaelDave) February 20, 2017