- The Kings traded promising second-year point guard Tyrese Haliburton on Tuesday.
- ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski said
NBA teams were "stunned" and had no idea Haliburton was available.
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Haliburton's inclusion in the deal was an eye-opener for many in the NBA world. Just 21 years old, Haliburton is averaging 14 points, 4 rebounds, and 7 assists per game this season while shooting 41% from three.
The Kings selected him with the 12th overall pick in the 2020 draft and were applauded for landing a steal so late in the lottery.
Haliburton, an All-Rookie First Team member last year, was largely thought of as a centerpiece on a rebuilding Kings team.
According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, the rest of the NBA was just as shocked to see the Kings give up perhaps their best young player.
"Stunned. Tyrese Haliburton was stunned. The league is stunned at this trade," Wojnarowski said on ESPN. "And the fact that he was even available. I think there were a lot of teams who thought that, if we even knew we could have gotten Tyrese Haliburton, we would have been really knocking at the door in Sacramento."
Wojnarowski added: "This is a player who everyone thought — including Tyrese Haliburton — that he'd be the cornerstone for their future."
ESPN's Malika Andrews said: "I spoke to someone in the Sacramento Kings organization today who just told me, 'What the heck is going on?'"
Haliburton himself sounded as if he was viewing a long-term future in Sacramento.
"I refuse to let the culture of what the Kings have been in the past take over … I'm gonna help fix this," Haliburton told reporters in January. "I don't know how long it's gonna take. It ain't gonna be in a day, it ain't gonna be in a month. But I'm gonna be here, and we're gonna make it work."
Others were similarly baffled by the Kings' decision. Former NBA player and ESPN analyst JJ Redick called the deal a "head-scratcher."
"I'm still scratching my head at this deal," Redick said. "If I'm the Kings, I'm not giving up Tyrese Haliburton. He's been even better in his second year than he was in his rookie year ... It's a head-scratcher for me."
ESPN's Kirk Goldsberry highlighted how efficient and effective Haliburton has been this season.
—Kirk Goldsberry (@kirkgoldsberry) February 8, 2022
ESPN's Kevin Pelton gave the Kings a D+ for the trade and the Pacers an A for landing a promising young player.
The Kings did receive a talented, All-Star-level player in Domantas Sabonis. Still, it was a curious move to pivot away from a cost-controlled, promising young player to a more expensive veteran (though Sabonis is just 25).
The Kings haven't made the playoffs since 2006 and have often made impatient, short-sighted moves in an attempt to fix their fortunes. They're likely to extend the streak this season and may live to regret trading a building block so soon.