Golden State Warriors forward Matt Barnes has a candid message for his former team, the Sacramento Kings.
"I'm trying to kill them," Barnes told reporters Thursday. "Plain and simple. Things didn't go well there."
Barnes' new team will play host to his former squad Friday. The Sacramento-area native was released by the Kings last month during the blockbuster trade that sent DeMarcus Cousins to the New Orleans Pelicans.
"It was frustrating because being back home and really taking pride in trying to put that team back on the map, and then just in a day's time you're no longer a part of the organization," Barnes told the Sacramento Bee. "It was kind of a rude awakening."
Barnes' turbulent tenure with the Kings was marred by a December arrest following an alleged assault of a woman at a New York night club.
Barnes joined the Warriors -- his second stint with the team in his career -- to shore up depth for the team following Kevin Durant's left knee injury. He is averaging 5.8 points and 5.0 rebounds in 11 games with his new team.
As for the incident in NYC, his trial was postponed until June after his lawyer successfully argued that Barnes could be playing in the NBA Finals for the Warriors that month.
Barnes has previously criticized the Kings, saying they treated Cousins unfairly. Cousins was also involved in the December incident in New York but was not charged following an NYPD investigation.
"They're the enemy now," Barnes said of the Kings.
