Vlade Divac has vowed to resign as General Manager of the Kings if the team is not better in two years than it is now.
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In an interview with the Sacramento Bee centered around his decision to trade star forward DeMarcus Cousins, Divac said, “I totally understand why some fans would be upset. They supported DeMarcus, and I like DeMarcus a lot. But I believe we are going to be in a better position in two years. I want to hear again from these same people in two years. If I’m right, great. If I’m wrong, I’ll step down. But if I go down, I’m going down my way.”
Divac also said back-channeling by Cousins’ agents forced him to accept a deal from the Pelicans that wasn’t as favorable for Sacramento as the one ultimately agreed upon.
“When I was first talking with the Pelicans, it was about Buddy (Hield) and two first-round picks,” Divac said.
“I talked to DeMarcus’ agents (Dan Fegan and Jarinn Akana) to inform them we were having talks, negotiating terms, and they called teams and threatened them, saying that if Cousins was traded, he would not sign an extension. They got scared and dropped it down to a second-round pick. I thought if I waited longer, I would get less. I needed to act.”
The Bee asked Divac why he told ESPN two weeks ago that Cousins would not be traded.
“Because I really did not have (good offers) for DeMarcus,” Divac responded.
“In all the conversations I was having with GMs, we weren’t going to get anything. People were scared because of his history. So I felt confident he was going to stay with us, and I was going to work with him, and we would do the best we can. But then I got the offer from the Pelicans a few days before the All-Star Game. That was a difference of, what, two weeks from what I had said to ESPN? Everything changed.”