After the Indiana Pacers beat the Milwaukee Bucks to advance to the NBA’s In-Season Tournament Championship Game, Myles Turner got brutally honest on the Pacers trading Domantas Sabonis to the Sacramento Kings for Tyrese Haliburton on February 8, 2022.
“I think we won the trade personally, but I’m biased of course,” Turner told NBA reporter Sam Amick of The Athletic. “I think it was mutually beneficial. (Kings guard De’Aaron) Fox got something that he needed, and I got the point guard that I needed.”
Turner was friends with Sabonis, but he didn’t enjoy playing power forward while Sabonis played at the center spot.
“Those days when I was playing the four (alongside Sabonis before Haliburton’s arrival), those were dark days for me because I wasn’t happy,” Turner said. “I didn’t really enjoy my role. I didn’t really enjoy a lot of the scrutiny that came with playing out of position. … It wasn’t all bad, but it definitely wasn’t good.”
The trade has worked out for both teams. Sabonis helped the Kings make the playoffs last season for the first time since 2006, while Haliburton has turned into a superstar with the Pacers.
“I think we’re shocking the world right now,” Haliburton said. “Nobody expected us to be here except for the guys in the locker room. That means a lot to us, so it feels good.”
Haliburton is averaging 21.0 points, 3.9 rebounds and 10.5 assists with the Pacers, while Sabonis is averaging 19.1 points, 12.2 rebounds and 7.0 assists with the Kings.
Haliburton wanted to spend his entire NBA career with the Kings. He was disappointed when he got traded. However, the All-Star is thrilled to be with the Pacers now.
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