The Indiana Pacers took down the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 1 of the NBA Finals, and now come just three wins away from winning their first championship since the merger.
However, oddly enough, Indiana's success is directly related to the Sacramento Kings' downfall.
In the 2020 NBA Draft, the Kings took a chance on Tyrese Haliburton with the 12th pick, and after finishing top three in NBA Rookie of the Year voting, he was seen as a franchise cornerstone. However, the Kings did not feel like seeing how a backcourt of Haliburton and De'Aaron Fox would last long-term.
Sacramento Kings guard De'Aaron Fox (5) is congratulated by guard Tyrese Haliburton (0)
Nov 3, 2021; Sacramento, California, USA; Sacramento Kings guard De'Aaron Fox (5) is congratulated by guard Tyrese Haliburton (0) after scoring a basket during the fourth quarter against the New Orleans Pelicans at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images / Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images
At the 2022 trade deadline, the Kings sent Haliburton and assets to the Pacers in exchange for Domantas Sabonis, and now it is turning out to be one of the worst trades the Kings could have made.
Haliburton is turning into a certified star, and his game-winning shot in Game 1 of the Finals was just another example of how badly the Kings messed up by trading him away.
Many Kings fans likely imagine a world where the franchise never traded away Haliburton, and that was almost a reality. According to a recent report from The Athletic's Sam Amick, the Kings attempted to trade away De'Aaron Fox before sending Haliburton to Indiana.
"When the Pacers did the deal that landed them Haliburton, it was the end result of a years-long process in which the Kings tried so desperately to figure out how to form their backcourt of the future. De’Aaron Fox was the clear priority for much of that time, with former general manager Vlade Divac famously passing on Luka Dončić in the 2018 draft, in large part, because he couldn’t envision them co-existing," Amick wrote.
"But by the time 2022 came, when then-general manager Monte McNair and assistant general manager Wes Wilcox were looking for ways to turn their middling team into a playoff contender, Fox’s market value had plummeted to the point where Haliburton became the focal point of their rebuilding efforts. League sources say the Kings explored trades involving Fox, who had recently signed a five-year, $160 million deal, but simply didn’t find a suitable return.
"The discussions with the Pacers, league sources say, were two-pronged but quickly turned from Fox to Haliburton when it was clear that was the only real avenue to a deal," Amick finished.
The Kings have made many mistakes over the years, as Amick mentioned, passing up on Luka Doncic to take Marvin Bagley III. If the Kings were to have traded away Fox instead of Haliburton in 2022, the franchise would be in a much different position. However, within three years, they decided to trade away both Haliburton and Fox, going from two star-caliber point guards to zero.
While it would not have necessarily been the correct decision to trade away Fox instead of Haliburton, considering it is likely the Kings would have messed up the situation regardless, it certainly would be nice for the franchise to go back and redo that 2022 blockbuster deal.