The Sacramento Kings once had one of the most talented young backcourts in the NBA. Today, both of those star guards are gone. Even more painful for Kings fans, both players have now reached the NBA Finals in back-to-back years after leaving Sacramento.
In 2025, Tyrese Haliburton led the Indiana Pacers to the NBA Finals. In 2026, De’Aaron Fox helped guide the San Antonio Spurs to the NBA Finals. Meanwhile, the Kings stumbled to a 22-60 record, finished 14th in the Western Conference, and failed to capitalize on a tanking season after landing only the seventh overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.
The first major move came on February 8, 2022. Sacramento traded Haliburton, Buddy Hield, and Tristan Thompson to the Pacers for Domantas Sabonis, Justin Holiday, Jeremy Lamb, and a second-round pick.
At the time, the move was controversial, but understandable. The Kings believed Sabonis could help end their playoff drought and build a competitive team around Fox. To be fair, Sabonis helped Sacramento return to the playoffs and played a major role in their resurgence.
Still, Haliburton blossomed into one of the NBA’s elite point guards after arriving in Indiana.
Since joining the Pacers, Haliburton has averaged 19.5 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 10.1 assists while shooting 48.2% from the field and 38.6% from three-point range. He earned two All-Star selections and two All-NBA selections while becoming the face of the franchise.
Last season, he led Indiana all the way to the NBA Finals before suffering a devastating Achilles injury in Game 7. Had the Pacers completed the job, Haliburton could have added Finals MVP to his growing resume.
The second major move came on February 3, 2025, when Fox requested a trade after years of frustration with the organization’s inability to consistently compete. Sacramento sent Fox and Jordan McLaughlin to the Spurs as part of a three-team deal involving the Chicago Bulls. In return, the Kings received Zach LaVine, Sidy Cissoko, three first-round picks, and two second-round picks.
Unlike the Haliburton trade, Fox’s departure felt inevitable. The Kings had failed to build a true contender around him, and Fox wanted a chance to compete at the highest level.
The move has worked out brilliantly for San Antonio.
Playing alongside Victor Wembanyama, Stephon Castle, and Dylan Harper, Fox no longer carries the burden of being the primary option every night. He averaged 18.8 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 6.3 assists while shooting 47.8% from the field and 32.0% from three-point range during his time with the Spurs. He also earned another All-Star selection and played a key role in San Antonio’s run to the NBA Finals.
The irony is impossible to ignore. Haliburton reached the Finals one year after Fox left Sacramento. Now Fox has reached the Finals one year after Haliburton’s Pacers did the same.
Both guards were instrumental in the Kings’ most successful recent era. But now, both stars are thriving elsewhere. The Kings can justify both trades based on the circumstances at the time. Sabonis helped make them competitive. Fox wanted out. Yet results matter.
Right now, one former Kings star is coming off a Finals run, another is preparing for the biggest series of his career, and Sacramento is staring at another rebuild. That reality will haunt Kings fans for years.
