The transaction wire in the NBA is heating up with the trade deadline approaching on Thursday and we have a deal between a pair of teams near the bottom of their respective conference standings.
The Indiana Pacers have dealt two-time All-Star Domantas Sabonis, Jeremy Lamb, Justin Holiday, and a second-round pick to the Sacramento Kings for Tyrese Haliburton, Buddy Hield, and Tristan Thompson.
Trade Alert
— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) February 8, 2022
The Kings are sending Tyrese Haliburton, Buddy Hield and Tristan Thompson to the Pacers for Domantas Sabonis, Jeremy Lamb, Justin Holiday and a 2027 second-round pick, per @wojespn pic.twitter.com/5xV01CWiC4
Kings: C
It’s a questionable decision for the Kings to bail out on Haliburton so quickly, especially considering that he started every game this season and was developing well. They must think that the combo of Sabonis and Fox gives them a higher shot at sneaking into the play-in tournament and with Haliburton gone, this gives them the green light to give Davion Mitchell more starts. It’s a gamble that better work because Kings fans are already seething.
Pacers: B-
The Pacers are treading water at the bottom of the Eastern Conference and with them having already dealt Caris LeVert, it’s clear that they’re recalibrating things in Indianapolis. The second-year guard Haliburton has a lot of upside that they can benefit from over the course of his rookie deal and Hield is a veteran shooter that can help in their rotation.