The trade deadline deal between the Indiana Pacers and Sacramento Kings sent NBA Twitter into a frenzy.
The Pacers traded All-Star forward Domantas Sabonis, Jeremy Lamb, Justin Holiday and a second-round pick to the Kings for Tyrese Haliburton, Buddy Hield and Tristan Thompson.
The reason it was so shocking is that the expectation became that if the Kings moved one of their two young guards, it was more likely that De'Aaron Fox would be traded away instead of Haliburton. Fox's name popped up much more frequently in trade rumors and Haliburton had just recently pledged his allegiance to stay in Sacramento, trying to turn around a franchise that holds the NBA's longest playoff drought of 15 years running.
The way Twitter reacted, you would have thought the Kings traded the second coming of Michael Jordan when Haliburton's name was involved.
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While the group response may have been ambitious, the reality is that Haliburton is a really, really talented young player. He plays with the poise of a seasoned veteran at 21 years old. He's a lights-out shooter (and don't let that quirky release fool you into thinking otherwise), he's a tremendous playmaker and above all, he carries himself with an energetic attitude and the demeanor of a leader.
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He is someone any franchise would be lucky to have in their locker room as a building block and cornerstone.
It didn't take long for the Pacers fanbase to see that, as Haliburton put on a show in his Indiana debut. The newly acquired floor general had the team clicking on all cylinders in the first quarter, putting up a season-high 47 points as a team. He scored 12 points without missing a shot in the first frame, flashing a bit of his scoring arsenal with some feathery floaters and 3-pointers.
.@TyHaliburton22 is on the board 👏 pic.twitter.com/w5ssIo197O
— Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) February 12, 2022
Haliburton was running the fast break like it was showtime, flourishing with two shooters by his side in Hield and rookie standout Chris Duarte. He was orchestrating everything in the halfcourt, making all the right reads as he did so often in Sacramento whenever he got the chance to dominate the ball.
ANOTHER ONE!@IJackson22 🤝 @TyHaliburton22 pic.twitter.com/p9ljtldohE
— Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) February 12, 2022
The Pacers let their hot start go to waste as the Cavaliers eventually completed a comeback victory, but Haliburton's debut was a sign of things to come in the future. Finishing with 23 points (9-15 FG, 4-6 3PT), six assists and three steals, he put up impressive numbers, but it goes beyond that.
There was a renewed energy on the floor and in the arena. The acquisition of Haliburton gives the Pacers a franchise cornerstone to build around in hopes of snapping a streak of mediocrity, where they have fallen in the first round of the playoffs in five of the last six seasons.
Haliburton's unselfish play makes him someone other players would want to play with, and his flexibility as a combo guard allows him to fit in nicely alongside just about any lineup.
There were some other key missing pieces in this contest – both Malcolm Brogdon and Myles Turner were out with injuries – but we still got a glimpse of what a Haliburton-Duarte backcourt looks like. It will be interesting to see how they handle the other players on the roster, but it feels safe to say Haliburton, Turner and Duarte are three future pieces.
While losing a player of Sabonis' caliber hurts, the young star the Pacers got in return brightens the team's hopes for years to come.
Haliburton is the next franchise player in Indiana.
