Pacers’ Tyrese Haliburton Became First Player To Do This In NBA History

Very rarely when trades are made do both NBA teams come away from the deal feeling like they won. But, that is exactly what looks to have occurred in the transaction between the Indiana Pacers and Sacramento Kings.

Ahead of the 2022 trade deadline, the teams took part in a blockbuster deal that saw All-Star big man Domantas Sabonis head to Sacramento. In return for him, the Pacers received point guard Tyrese Haliburton as the centerpiece of the package, and sharpshooter Buddy Hield.

In a full season with Sabonis as their starting center, the Kings quickly turned things around in the first season under Mike Brown. They snapped their 16-year playoff drought, which was the longest in NBA history.

The Pacers didn’t find nearly as much success on the court but did show improvement of their own. Their win total improved by 10 from the previous season and Haliburton was a big reason why.

There were a lot of people who thought the Kings lost that trade because of the upside that Haliburton possessed. Many felt he the ability to become an All-Star player, which he quickly proved correct.

In his first season as the Pacers’ starting point guard, the Iowa State product earned an All-Star nod, the first of what Indiana hopes to be many. He averaged 20.7 points, 10.4 assists, 3.7 rebounds and 1.6 steals in 33.6 minutes per game. His efficiency was also impressive, as he made 49 percent of his shots overall, 40 percent on 3-pointers and 87.1 percent of his free throw attempts.

The combination of efficiency, scoring and playmaking that Haliburton achieved during the 2022-23 season has put him in a class of his own. Haliburton is the only player in NBA history to average 20+ points and 10+ assists per game while making 40 percent of his 3-point attempts.

That level of efficiency is exactly why many people feel the Pacers are ready to take that next step and become a playoff team this upcoming season. As long as Haliburton can remain healthy, Indiana is going to make some noise in the 2023-24 campaign.