When the Sacramento Kings traded DeMarcus Cousins to the New Orleans Pelicans, Kings General Manager Vlade Divac insisted that he alone made the decision. He denied any involvement from ownership. Vlade told reporters “I'm responsible for making decisions in the basketball operations, and I did it." But this narrative quickly falls apart, to the surprise of nobody.
In an extensive article on the infighting of the Buss family, ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne reveals details of the trade negotiations between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Kings.
Divac, who sources say believed he had a very narrow window to trade Cousins before ownership changed its mind, wanted to act quickly and knew he had ownership approval for trades involving the Pelicans' Buddy Hield and the Lakers' Brandon Ingram.