While the trade deadline is now a distant memory as we quickly head toward the play-ins, playoffs, and… play-ons? Yeah, why are there no play-ons or even play-outs? Maybe we just haven’t evolutionized (totally a word) enough yet? Regardless, for those of you who remember (where were you when the Kings were peak Kings?), Sacramento ended up trading their most cost-controlled asset in Tyrese Haliburton (along with Buddy Hield and Tristan Thompson) for Domantas Sabonis, Justin Holiday, Jeremy Lamb and a 2023 second-round pick. And it just so happens that right after the trade, I took a look at Sabonis and the Kings separate from any analysis of the trade itself. Basically, Sabonis is a big man with some big skills that would continue being that. And while the Kings haven’t really succeeded with their “win-now” strategy (2-8 in their last 10, four losses behind the 10 seed), there’s been nothing but confirmation that the Pacers made out like gangbusters (dated reference ftw) with Tyrese flourishing with his new team.
| SEASON | TM | GP | MPG | PPG | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | TPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-22 | SAC | 51 | 34.5 | 14.3 | 3.9 | 7.4 | 1.7 | 0.7 | 2.3 |
| 2021-22 | IND | 11 | 37.9 | 19.2 | 4.9 | 9.5 | 2.1 | 0.6 | 3.7 |
First, the major stats. Not sure if you noticed, but literally every single stat has gone up since his trade, sans his blocks, but I feel that’s a pretty negligible criticism. And of course more turnovers is never a good thing, but is a common result when minutes and assists-per-game rise, but in return, every single counting stat in terms of production has also followed suit.
| SEASON | TM | FGM | FGA | FG% | 3-PM | 3-PA | 3P% | FTM | FTA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-22 | SAC | 5.3 | 11.5 | 45.7 | 2.0 | 4.9 | 41.3 | 1.7 | 2.0 |
| 2021-22 | IND | 6.6 | 13.0 | 51.0 | 2.8 | 6.7 | 41.9 | 3.1 | 3.8 |
But not just the counting stats, he’s not just doing more, he’s doing it better. Both his field goal percentage and 3-point percentage have raised (though I think it’s technically fairer to say Haliburton has sustained his outside-the-arch shooting) and has done on a team that is struggling just as much as the Kings are now (the Pacers are 3-7 in their last 10).
The future remains bright for both Haliburton and Pacers though, and while it’s easy to wax poetic on how great Tyrese is and will be, it’s no small feat that De’aaron Fox is also thriving during this period, perhaps showing that maybe the trade wasn’t as lopsided as first thought. Case in point, before the trade, Fox had a slash of 23.0/3.8/5.2 on 45.8/24.8/74.4 percentages. Since the trade, he’s now providing 28.2/4.3/6.5 on 51.8/38.7/73.8. Interestingly enough, also before the trade, Fox shot below 50% in 25 out of 43 games but has only shot below 50% once in the past 13 games.
Furthermore (ye olde English?), Fox is not the only player seeing elevated play on the Kings roster. For example, Harrison Barnes before the trade? 16.9/6.1/2.6. After? 19.4/5.2/2.2. But yes, the Kings are definitely not winning now, which seemed to be the point of the trade, but “win-now” may not necessarily mean “win-right-this-minute”. While over-coming a four-win deficit to get into the play-ins isn’t a crazy thought, I’m much more intrigued with next season’s Kings and their post-season prospects. The team looks better, despite the results, and is certainly a more balanced team (even many of the naysayers published would admit as much). Given some time to play together, a core group of Fox, Sabonis, Donte, Mitchell and Barnes looks pretty strong, especially when you consider that 2023 draft, with a pick high enough to perhaps net a wing prospect to complete the picture.
It’s certainly easy to be a reactionary, especially when everything on the stat sheet (and contract sheet) is telling you how one-side a transaction is. But the players still have to play and still have to play with each other. It’s worth noting that since the trade, both Fox and Haliburton are playing better and in-sync with their own respective systems. That’s a long way of stating that they probably weren’t a great fit together, and that’s even easier to see now.
As I mentioned in my previous post covering this trade, Fox is on a max and was always going to be harder to move, and in this context, if you have to choose one asset to move, it almost has to be Hali. Now, it’s certainly debatable how the Kings decided to move him, but the why is abundantly clear, and if the why is ultimately to create a better team and one that can go deep in the playoffs, how mad can y’all really be? What’s that, Kings fans live in Sacramento? *Checks notes.
Oh. Yeah, sorry, you can still be mad…
Jay is a longtime Razzball everything who consumes an egregious amount of Makers Mark as a vehicle to gain wisdom and augment his natural glow. Living in the D.C. area, he also likes spending time visiting the local parks and feeding lettuce to any turtles he encounters, including Mitch McConnell. You can follow him on Twitter @jaywrong.
