In a highly controversial trade, the Sacramento Kings said goodbye to their young point guard, Tyrese Haliburton, in a swap with the Indiana Pacers. While both teams have been trending upward since the trade, Pacers big man Myles Turner settled the debate on which franchise ultimately got the better end of the deal.
“I think we won the trade personally, but I’m biased of course,” Turner told The Athletic. “I think it was mutually beneficial. (Kings guard De’Aaron) Fox got something that he needed, and I got the point guard that I needed.”
Turner would go on to explain how bad things were during the Sabonis era. In that stretch, Turner was forced to play power forward and it made for an awkward fit on the court. With Tyrese running the show instead, it’s opened up the floor for everybody, and especially Turner.
“Those days when I was playing the four (alongside Sabonis before Haliburton’s arrival), those were dark days for me because I wasn’t happy,” Turner said. “I didn’t really enjoy my role. I didn’t really enjoy a lot of the scrutiny that came with playing out of position.”
Needless to say, the Pacers are in a much better place since the trade and the swap between Tyrese and Sabonis is considered the major turning point for the franchise and it’s a moment that’s widely debated in the NBA community.
The Pacers Have Arrived
After clinching a spot for the in-season tournament finals this week, the young and hungry Indiana Pacers are basking in the limelight of their success. And while many things are to credit for their run this year, you can trace their newfound success back to the acquisition of Haliburton in 2022. He showed signs of stardom from the very beginning, but this is his breakout season with averages of 26.9 points, 12.1 assists, and 4.2 rebounds per game on a career-high 52% shooting.
Joined by Myles Turner, Buddy Hield, and Andrew Nembhard, the Pacers have a very solid rotation that includes size, depth, and perimeter shooting to maximize Haliburton’s playmaking. The only thing holding back the Pacers from true contention is their defense, which ranks near the bottom of the NBA. if the Pacers can figure out how to play average on that end of the floor, it could unlock a new level of dominance for the team.
Kings Made A Huge Mistake
The Sacramento Kings made out pretty well in the trade, securing Domantas Sabonis to pair with their franchise guard, De’Aaron Fox. After a run to the West playoffs last season and a continued show of competence from the team, the Kings are now considered a legitimate threat in the West on par with teams like the Clippers, Suns, and Thunder.
Even so, most experts can agree that the Kings lost the Haliburton trade. As good as this stretch has been for Sacramento, it could have been even better with Halibirton on the team, who already has a case for being a top-three point guard in the game. Looking back, the Kings probably traded the wrong point guard that night, but there’s no going back on the deal now and the Kings have no choice but to live with the results.
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