Many in the NBA world were shocked when the Indiana Pacers and Sacramento Kings agreed to a trade that saw Tyrese Haliburton, Buddy Hield, and Tristan Thompson head to Indiana while Domantas Sabonis, Jeremy Lamb, and Justin Holiday were sent to the west coast.
It was a big, surprising move and one of the people most surprised by it was Haliburton himself.
Haliburton recently let his thoughts on the trade be known and it sounds like he was totally blindsided by his former team.
“I really, really, really was all in on Sacramento. And I wasn’t shy about it. I would tell people…‘I want to be that next C-Webb for this city’ …I wanted to become one of those players who got drafted somewhere and built a legacy.”
– Tyrese Haliburton
(Via @PlayersTribune) pic.twitter.com/1TivI4tPRa— NBA Central (@TheNBACentral) February 15, 2022
Writing for the Players Tribune, Haliburton said, “I really, really, really was all in on Sacramento. And I wasn’t shy about it. I would tell people ‘I want to be that next C-Webb for this city. I wanted to become one of those players who got drafted somewhere and built a legacy.”
That quote is going to hurt fans of the Kings as they are still reeling from losing such an important part of their team.
So Long, Sacramento
While many people expected the Kings to make a big trade this year, few people thought Haliburton would be part of it.
Even a few months ago, it was rumored that the team had no interest in moving him.
Instead, fans were planning to say goodbye to Hield and others on the team.
Most Sac Town supporters saw the future of the team revolving around Haliburton and De’Aaron Fox.
So the trade was a shock to both fans, players, and Haliburton.
If the deal ends up helping Sacramento in the next few seasons, fans may be forgiving.
However, if the team continues to struggle – and if the Pacers start to surge – you can expect the front office of the Kings to be even more hated than it is now.
NEXT: The Kings Are Finally Sticking With A Plan