In a jovial mood on Thursday, DeMarcus Cousins joked around with reporters about the Pelicans‘ upcoming matchup against his former team, the Sacramento Kings. After all of the jokes, Cousins did talk about how he was looking forward to seeing his former teammates and members of the Kings staff. However based on an interview Cousins recently had with ESPN's Marc Spears, it doesn't sound like Pelicans big man would be too happy to see Kings vice president and general manager Vlade Divac or team owner Vivek Ranadavie.

Asked about Sacramento's insistence that they weren't going to trade him but then did so without informing him, Cousins didn't hold back.

From Spears:

How do you reflect on the Kings trading you, to your surprise, before the deadline? Anything the Kings could have done better?

The main thing was if there was anyone who knew how I felt about being in Sacramento, it was those guys. It’s been talked about. They knew. If you felt that way, I know and understand it’s a business, but just let me know and prepare myself.

But how would you have taken it if the Kings were up front about wanting to trade you?

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.

You can understand where Cousins is coming from with his comments. Days and perhaps even weeks before actually trading Cousins, the Kings told him that were not going to deal him and were going to continue to build around him. Cousins even kept saying he was looking forward to playing his entire career with the Kings and gave several indications that he was planning on signing a long-term extension with Sacramento. But then all of sudden after literally years of rumors, the Kings traded him without any real warning, and now Cousins is a member of the Pelicans.

Sacramento's decision to trade Cousins was a front office move but it wouldn't be surprising to see the All-Star big man take out his frustrations with Divac and Ranadive on the Kings when the Pelicans play them on Friday.