Bored by an All-Star Game with no defense, shocked to life by DeMarcus Cousins trade rumors and later stunned by the news the Sacramento Kings traded Cousins (finally) to the New Orleans Pelicans, the NBA world hopped with excitement and disbelief late Sunday night.

Even after Kings general manager Vlade Divac vowed recently his team wanted to keep Cousins, the trade itself did not arrive as a complete shock. But the circumstances of how it went down -- several days before the trade deadline, when teams often receive the best offers -- puzzled people across the league. Just two days after Cousins had expressed joy over finally being able to talk basketball, rather than trades, at All-Star Weekend, he was reportedly dealt for an underwhelming package of Buddy Hield, Langston Galloway, Tyreke Evans, a 2017 first-round pick, and a 2017 second-round pick.

One NBA source called it a "terrible job" by the Sacramento front office. Another reacted with a string of cuss words that didn't make full sense, but was intended to express disagreement with the Kings decision. The weak haul prompted a series of questions: Why were the Kings driven to trade Cousins now, after so many losing years? Why did he fetch such a questionable return? And why didn't another team -- like the Boston Celtics -- trump the Pelicans offer?

Let's break some of it down.

1. Based on conversations with people around the league, the Kings really coveted Hield, valuing the shooting guard more than most. Others look at Hield as a probable role player for the rest of his career, but Sacramento believes it received the equivalent of two legitimate lottery talents in the trade: one in Hield, and another in the 2017 first-round pick (which, it should be noted, might fall out of the lottery if the Pelicans make a late-season run).

The reported trade conversations mesh with that assessment of the situation. The Kings allegedly told the Los Angeles Lakers they wanted No. 2 overall pick Brandon Ingram in any deal. When the Lakers declined, those talks broke down. The Kings were oddly hasty to accept New Orleans' offer -- when they could have tried to entice better offers over the next few days -- but the decision makes more sense if they really do believe so strongly in Hield's potential. (Whether they should is another conversation entirely.)

2. Because of their stance on Hield and apparent focus on adding 2017 draft equity, the Kings probably viewed their return differently than most people. For the Celtics, landing Cousins might have required sending something like Jaylen Brown and one of the Brooklyn Nets picks -- a price they were not willing to pay, according to a source with knowledge of their thinking.

3. But why? This is just a guess, but...

Cousins is an All-NBA player, one of the world's most talented big men, and a total risk for whichever team acquires him. He could settle in next to Anthony Davis and dominate opposing frontcourts for the next decade, but he could also drag down his new franchise with all the same problems that hurt his teams in Sacramento: clashes with coaches, a handful of lazy possessions per game, wild emotional swings that left a dark cloud over the franchise.

Cousins is thrilling, enticing, supremely gifted, and remarkably unpredictable. He could have been the perfect fit for a Celtics team that needs rebounding and values skilled bigs, but he comes with disaster potential. If everything went wrong, he could have torn apart all the momentum the Celtics have built. They might have been willing to take a swing for a bargain price, but it's possible that option did not exist. Brown (who has a load of two-way potential) and a Nets pick (which could yield a future superstar) -- or any package close to that -- would have been a lot to surrender for such a wild card.

The Celtics weren't alone in their hesitation. Across the NBA, it seems, Cousins' attitude scared off teams:

Some teams wanted nothing to do with Cousins. Some had interest but simply wouldn't surrender much, given the risks involved. https://t.co/U1aAWZE9Rf — Howard Beck (@HowardBeck) February 20, 2017

The Kings were clearly wary of keeping Cousins, too. Regardless of their feelings on Hield, they moved Cousins for questionable value, suggesting they did not want to commit to him long term. And they know him better than anyone.

The Celtics remain on the hunt for a franchise-lifting talent -- which Cousins could have been! -- but kept all their assets in case a safer alternative like Jimmy Butler or Paul George turns into a realistic option. Another path, just using the draft picks from Brooklyn, must be intriguing too.

4. One of the (many) strange aspects of the Cousins trade was how quickly it seemed to materialize. After publicly showing a desire to keep Cousins long term, the Kings listened to bids, brought some offers to owner Vivek Ranadive, and agreed to the shocking trade days before the deadline. Less than an hour before The Vertical's Adrian Wojnarowski broke news of the deal, Cousins' agent told ESPN's Marc Stein the Kings had assured him they would not move the center.

Maybe the Kings have been planning to trade Cousins for a while but hid the desire from his camp. Maybe Cousins' repeated issues finally convinced the organization to change course this week and avoid signing the big man to a huge extension this summer. Whatever the case, the Kings have operated strangely for a long time now. The Cousins trade provided a fitting end to a bizarre, rocky and ultimately unsuccessful era.