Report: Kings trading Tyrese Haliburton to Pacers for Domantas Sabonis

Tyrese Haliburton falling to them at the No. 12 pick in the 2020 NBA draft was one of the best things that has happened to the Kings in a long time.

Haliburton is already a good player. His shooting and basketball intelligence have translated as hoped, and he’s better than expected with the ball in his hands. The 21-year-old can improve even further.

But Sacramento is trading him.

The deal, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN:

Sabonis is a good player. A two-time All-Star, in fact. That recognition raises his appeal to teams interested in marketing, not just actually building a winner.

But whether Sabonis actually deserves the “star” title is in the eye of the beholder. I wouldn’t have picked him as an All-Star in 2020. I wouldn’t have picked him as an All-Star last year, even as the injury replacement he was.

If Sabonis didn’t carry the “two-time All-Star” label, it’s worth wondering whether Sacramento makes this trade.

Again, Sabonis is a good player. He’s a bully inside, using his physicality and touch to score efficiently. He passes well for his position, capable of orchestrating the offense from the post. He can run pick-and-rolls and will form an interesting combo with point guard De'Aaron Fox. Sabonis rebounds well. He also has a longer track record of improvement and is just 25. Like Haliburton, he can get even better.

But Sabonis’ playing style limits his upside. He isn’t much of a long-range shooter. The Kings’ spacing could be pinched with him, Fox and Richaun Holmes (if they keep Holmes in a potentially busy pre-deadline period). Sabonis is neither long and bouncy enough to protect the rim nor quick enough to defend on the perimeter. Though he can get by with effort, better teams can significantly exploit