By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
“When you make a deal you want to get the most. Right now was the best time, and it was the best offer we had,” the Serb former player said Monday in explaining the Kings‘ side of the trade according to ESPN.
Asked why he didn’t wait until closer to Thursday’s trade deadline to make a move, he said, “Most likely we would get less, because I had a better deal two days ago.”
As to why those talks didn’t result in a trade, Divac said to “talk to those agents, what do they say? I don’t want to go into details. I don’t want to discuss the process.”
In the trade announced Monday, the Pelicans received Cousins and swingman Omri Casspi while sending Buddy Hield, Tyreke Evans, Langston Galloway, a 2017 first-round pick and a 2017 second-rounder to the Kings.
A front-office source familiar with the Kings’ thinking said owner Vivek Ranadive’s adoration of Hield was a key driver in the deal. “Vivek thinks Buddy has Steph Curry potential,” the source told ESPN’s Baxter Holmes. “He’s talented guy,” Divac said of Hield. “His work ethic is exactly what we want here.”
Divac emphasized throughout the media session on Monday that a change to the Kings’ “culture” was an important factor in making the trade. He was candid in saying the Kings aren’t a better team after the trade, but that the move was made with an eye on the future.
“Right now was the best time, and it was the best offer we had,” GM Vlade Divac said in explaining the Kings’ side of the DeMarcus Cousins trade. “First of all, I love DeMarcus,” Divac said. “I think he did great things here in the community and for this team, and I wish him nothing but the best in New Orleans. But on second hand, I have to do my job, and I felt like this was the best time to move forward and make a change of the culture, moving forward make a better organization in the future.”
He said the decision to agree to trade “was difficult, but I’m responsible for making decisions in the basketball operations, and I did it.” The Kings also waived veteran Matt Barnes as part of the trade. Asked if that move also was made with a culture change in mind, Divac indicated that was the case. “Unfortunately that was a thing we had to do,” he said, “but again, we want to have a different culture in the future and try to win the games.”