As Sacramento Kings fans probably know by know, the Tyrese Haliburton trade to the Indiana Pacers came as a shock to everyone involved. After all, it was not too long ago when reports surfaced saying that Sac Town was firm on their desire to build around De'Aaron Fox and Haliburton.
In his message to the Kings and the city of Sacramento after the trade, Haliburton showed pain as he said his goodbyes to the team. He shared that he “can’t put all my feelings into words yet,” which speaks volumes on how the deal quickly came.
Meanwhile, in the aftermath of the trade on Tuesday, former NBA forward Matt Barnes–who currently serves as an NBC Sports California analyst–revealed some behind-the-scenes information about the deal. According to the ex-Kings scorer, Haliburton was “in tears” over the news.
“This was a gut-punch to the team,” Barnes explained, via NBC. “I’ve talked to sources close to the team. The team was in shock, devastated; Tyrese was in tears. This is something he had bought into not only as he was emerging on the court as a potential star, but also emerging as a team leader on a voiceless team. So I think this one shocked everyone in the trade. This is not downgrading who we’re getting in return, but this was definitely an emotional day for Kings fans, the coaching staff and the players.”
It's hard not to feel for Tyrese Haliburton here. While the Kings have been a mediocre team for the past decade and half, the youngster has embraced the city and has shown commitment to changing the fortunes of the franchise.
The fact that the Kings have also sent signals that they wanted to keep Haliburton didn't help, proving that the NBA is still a business in the end.
Of course playing for the Pacers under a champion coach in Rick Carlisle could be beneficial in Haliburton's career. He is expected to form a new backcourt partnership with Indiana rookie Chris Duarte, which could be a deadly combo when polished and developed well.
Not to mention that he will have the keys to the offense as the Pacers enter a rebuild.
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