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With the Sacramento Kings having not made the NBA Playoffs since 2006, the front office performed a win-now move in acquiring two-time All-Star Domantas Sabonis, Jeremy Lamb, and Justin Holiday in exchange for sophomore stud Tyrese Haliburton, prolific shooter Buddy Hield, and Tristan Thompson. This was a massive surprise from the Sacramento side because Haliburton has undoubtedly been their best player on the floor this season, especially with De'Aaron Fox missing a slew of games already.
At 21 years of age, Haliburton's methodical approach and brilliant basketball IQ has been phenomenal this season. His career night in Philadelphia a few weeks back was clear evidence that he must be the franchise cornerstone for the measly Kings franchise. Even with all the disappointment and continuous losses of the organization, Haliburton has remained optimistic as he said after a 53-point loss to the Boston Celtics, “I'm a member of the Sacramento Kings and I will help fix this. I don’t know how long it’ll take. It ain’t gonna be a day, it ain’t gonna be in a month, but imma be here and we’re gonna make it work. I promise you that.”
With some big names leaving like DeMarcus Cousins or questionable draft selections like Marvin Bagley II, the attitude of Haliburton is rare and must be cherished by the front office. That was not the case as they swung a deal for him that left the whole league stunned according to a report of Adrian Wojnarowski on NBA Today. He was a beloved name in the Kings organization, but the possible reason they could have dealt them is their continuous belief in building around their Kentucky point guard in Fox.
It was a glaring mistake for the Kings to go all-in for a spot in play-in tournament, especially with the win-now acquisition of the New Orleans Pelicans. Sabonis' talent is unquestioned with his all-around presence offensively, but it does not seem ideal for Sacramento to deal two shooters and posses a lineup of having two bigs that do not have tremendous shooting prowess in Sabonis and Richaun Holmes.
Having Sabonis and Holmes in their front court limits the floor spacing ability of the Kings once again, especially with Fox being an atrocious shooter as well. Haliburton could not be maximized playing the two alongside Fox, but he found a way to adjust and tally sensational numbers by being a terrific catch-and-shoot or pull-up long range marksman. His shooting form was questioned entering the league, but he has proven that it could translate to the biggest basketball league in the world. On the other hand, Hield had his own issues with the previous coaching staff, but his shooting numbers are still at an excellent level.
With Sabonis' passing and initiative to create offense, he must still be surrounded by reliable shooters because if not, defenses would just pack the paint and force them to attempt shots they are not comfortable with. It was intriguing to watch the combo of Fox and Sabonis against the Minnesota Timberwolves last Wednesday night because they were both ecstatic playing together and wreaking havoc against a team who has a better win-loss record than them.
Donte DiVincenzo was a remarkable addition in the Kings via a four-team trade before the deadline. His numbers have digressed ever since return from a long layoff from his ankle injury in their first round playoff series against the Miami Heat last season. Even with the dip in his stats, he will be utilized as a backcourt partner to Fox or a scoring punch off the bench behind Davion Mitchell.
The Sabonis move puts Sacramento in a plausible position to fight for that last play-in spot against the Pelicans, but letting go of future assets to miss out on the top eight is an ironic decision by the organization.
