DeMarcus Cousins To Warriors: Anthony Davis Reveals He Was A 'Little Shocked'

New Orleans Pelicans star Anthony Davis admitted he was a "little shocked" at seeing former teammate DeMarcus Cousins join the Golden State Warriors.

Just a day after LeBron James signed with the Los Angeles Lakers, the Warriors would proceed to use their midlevel exception to sign free agent Cousins on a one-year, $5.3 million deal.

Although he is recovering from a torn Achilles tendon he suffered back in January, once fit, the Bay Area side have the possibility of fielding a starting lineup solely consisting of All-Stars — something not done since the Boston Celtics did it in 1975/76.

The move has naturally garnered a lot of scrutiny and criticism as the Warriors, who won three of the last four championships, have now been further strengthened while Cousins, regarded by many as the best center in the league, is expected to get his first ring next year.

Cousins claimed the reason he signed with the Warriors was a lack of offers due to his injury and the uncertainty that comes with it, and while Davis would have liked to have remained teammates, he said he understands his former teammate's decision.

"I found out through my TV actually. It happened, I was watching it on my TV and I just saw it pop up," Davis told Bill Reiter on CBS Sports. "Of course I was a little shocked, but I know DeMarcus. And he made the best decision for him and his career at that time and for his family."

"I understand it's a business, of course I definitely would have loved to keep going but at that point I'm not sure what was going on with his situation or what was going through his head. It's a lot, coming from being traded and then feeling like you deserve a max contract and then you ... rupture your Achilles. It was a tough situation, it was tough for him. I think he made the best decision for him and his family. I'm happy for him. We'll be seeing him down the road and he'll just have to guard me instead of us playing with each other."

Also speaking on ESPN, Davis revealed the Pelicans informed him throughout about the Cousins situation as it developed as he also reflected on the departure of Rajon Rondo, who left to join James at the Lakers.

"They [New Orleans] did [keep me informed]. There’s a lot of different stories out there, but for me, there’s nothing we can do about it now," Davis explained, as quoted on Yahoo. "I just move forward and try to worry about the team that we have now. You can’t dwell on whether they should’ve came back or Rondo, whoever it is."

"You’ve just got to move forward with the team I have now and try to find a way to make the playoffs as well and make some noise. Of course it was tough, but at the same time, I’m past it. Like I said, there’s nothing we can do about it. The team kept me in the loop. Whatever happened on their end happened on both sides. And now we’re here. So, like I said, we just have to move forward and try to figure out how we can be successful with the team we’ve got now."

Davis averaged 28.1 points, 11.1 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game during the regular season and was a finalist for the MVP and Defensive Player of the Year award.

He will not be alone in the upcoming season either, as the Pelicans signed Lakers prospect Julius Randle on a two-year contract with the 23-year-old likely to be a full-time replacement for Cousins, who missed the rest of the 2017/18 season after his injury.