The Kings-Pacers Trade Was A Success For Both Sides
Last season, two franchises with less notoriety than most franchises in the NBA, the Sacramento Kings and the Indiana Pacers, made a trade that ultimately ended up becoming one of those rare win-win trades for both sides. On February 9, 2022, the Kings sent all-star center Domantas Sabonis, Justin Holiday, Jeremy Lamb, and a 2023 second-round pick for second year guard Tyrese Haliburton, Buddy Hield, and Tristan Thompson. The center of attention of that trade was the swap of Sabonis for Haliburton.
Both teams were stuck in an odd position at the time this trade was made. The Kings had a guard lodjam in Haliburton, De’Aaron Fox and Davion Mitchell. There were rumors going around that one of those guards was going to be traded and it would most likely be De’Aaron Fox as the Kings were expected to turn to their two young guards over their fifth-year guard. Fox was a quality player in the NBA, but Haliburton was seen as the one with the most potential out of the three guards.
The Pacers were stuck in that middle ground of not being a contender, but also not being a bottom team with the odds of getting a top five pick. The franchise was unsure of the direction they were going in and had to make a move to give them some sort of guidance. The Pacers had two quality big men in Domantas Sabonis and Myles Turner, but were lacking guard depth for the future. They had floor general Malcolm Brogdon at the time and were looking to deal him at the deadline, but couldn’t find a trade suitor for him. Brogdon now plays for the Boston Celtics.
When the rumors came about a possible deal between the Kings and the Pacers, it was first said that the Kings were looking to swap De’Aaron Fox for Domantas Sabonis. Fox is a great point guard in the NBA, but the Pacers didn’t see him as a player they can build their franchise around like they did with Tyrese Haliburton. The Pacers rejected the Fox-Sabonis trade but offered to give them Sabonis for Haliburton. With the Kings desperately looking to make a move, they took the deal and the trade went through. The Kings got an all-star caliber big man and the Pacers got a young player to build their franchise around.
Fast forward to Febuary 3, 2023, and now both Tyrese Haliburton and Domantas Sabonis were named all-stars. Haliburton is averaging 20 points, 10 assists and right around two steals a game for a Pacers team that exceeded expectations, sitting at the fifth seed in the Eastern conference before he went down with an injury. Despite the extended absence from the injury, the start to the season was enough to solidify his case to be named an all-star.
Domantas Sabonis is averaging 19 points, 12 rebounds and 7 assists for the third-seeded Sacramento Kings. The Kings have exceeded all expectations by a wide margin and have established themselves as one of the best young teams in the NBA. Sabonis has been the third best center in the league this season behind Nikola Jokic and Joel Embiid and has powered this team behind a string of dominant offensive performances. Although the Kings are not seen as a defensive powerhouse rather than a weak defensive team, they are one of the strongest offensive teams in the league.
All in all, both the Sacramento Kings and Indiana Pacers benefited tremendously from the trade and have exceeded expectations given to them by many experts before the start of the season. Not only did Sabonis and Haliburton prove their worth, but their personal success has only made the players around them better, which is the sign of a true great player in the NBA. Looking into the future, both franchises can build off of their success this season, regardless of how their seasons end, and carry this momentum for years to come.
