To say DeMarcus Cousins’ situation in Sacramento was difficult is putting the situation lightly. The Kings surprisingly traded Cousins on the night of the All-Star game in New Orleans, a move that shook the NBA. While Cousins is undoubtedly relieved that the constant speculation has ended, the way it ended has left a sour taste in his mouth. In an interview with The Undefeated’s Marcus J. Spears, Boogie reflects on the trade that changed his career.
The trade not only got Cousins out of a flummoxed Sacramento franchise, but it cost him financially too. The Kings were able to offer Cousins $30 million more than any other team, so the change of scenery comes with a hefty price tag. However, the change in legacy, not money, irks Boogie much more. From The Undefeated:
It was never about the money. I don’t play this game for money. Anyone that knows me knows that I don’t play for the money. I had money before. I’m perfectly fine. To say it doesn’t help me would be a lie. Of course I want it. It wasn’t about the money. It never was.I wanted my legacy to end in Sacramento. I invested so much time and energy. Everything I had, my whole heart was into that city. Just for it to end the way it did, that was the part that was f—-. But it was never about the money. I don’t give a s— about the money.”
Cousins also says that the Kings organization reached out to him after two weeks after the trade, but he rebuffed them. When asked if he should reach out to them, the answer was pretty straight forward as one could imagine.
For what? Honestly, Vivek tried to reach out. It was about two weeks later [after the trade]. I just told him, ‘Look, why are you reaching out to me two weeks later? There is no point. If you feel like you’re doing the right thing now, it just shows who you really are as an owner.’ That was my message back to him. And I haven’t spoken to him about it since.
Despite the wavering relationship between the Kings and Cousins, the trade hurts. Boogie is still bitter about the way it ended. Spears asks Demarcus how things would’ve gone if the Kings were upfront with the rumors and speculation:
Of course, I would’ve been mad. But I still would have respected it. Come to me like a man. I’m a human being at the end of the day. Don’t treat me like a f—ing piece of cattle.
It was necessary for the Kings and Cousins to move on from one another, that much is safe to say. The way it ended, however, leaves much to be desired. If Sacramento is serious about putting together a respectable franchise that breeds excellence, the DeMarcus Cousins debacle must be the last misstep.
