Anthony Davis on DeMarcus Cousins right before trade: 'He's a great player'

NEW ORLEANS - Anthony Davis was already walking out of the NBA All-Star interview room, the last player or coach to be available to the media after Sunday's game, when The Vertical's report first dropped.

The insane trade was real.

But one reporter did ask Davis about the reports that the teams were talking about such a trade. Davis was diplomatic about a rumor that he sort of was not allowed to talk about at all.

From the NBA's official transcript of the news conference:

Q: Anthony, you just said that, when the management is looking to acquire a new player, that you will give them your opinion. Now there are reports that the Pelicans might have talks with the Kings about a DeMarcus Cousins trade. What is your opinion on him and on the possibility of just getting him to New Orleans?

Davis: He's a great player, dominant in this league, of course, with all the numbers he put up. But I haven't heard anything. So I'm going to let the management, once again, do what they do, and when the time is right, they'll come talk to me about it. Of course, DeMarcus is an elite player in this league.

Davis and Cousins are Kentucky alumni - separated by two years - and Wildcats coach John Calipari has long made a point of building a community among his NBA-bound pupils.

And by the way, that media room? A lot of stunned silence, and a lot of reporters on their phones.