Pacers deal All-Star Sabonis to Kings in 6-player trade

Updated Feb. 8, 2022 5:51 p.m. ET

Associated Press

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The Indiana Pacers will look completely different when they return home later this week while Sacramento Kings are getting a All-Star.

The two teams agreed to a six-player trade Tuesday that will send star forward Domantas Sabonis to Sacramento and emerging point guard Tyrese Haliburton to the Pacers, a person with direct knowledge of the details told The Associated Press.

The Kings will get Justin Holiday, Jeremy Lamb and a second-round draft pick in addition to Sabonis. Indiana is adding Haliburton, Buddy Hield and Tristan Thompson, the person told AP, speaking on condition of anonymity because the deal had not yet been announced.

Sabonis gives the Kings an immediate upgrade in the paint. He averages 18.9 points, 12.1 rebounds, and 5.0 assists per game, and has become a double-double machine. Sacramento's top rebounder before the deal was Richaun Holmes at 7.9 per game.

Sabonis could make a difference for a team that already has some young, talented players such as point guard De'Aaron Fox and Davion Mitchell. Sabonis also could serve as mentor to other young players — or his arrival could free up the Kings to make even more moves.

The Pacers aren't waiting to begin what could be a major overhaul.

An injury-depleted roster has Indiana, which started this season with playoff aspirations, lagging near the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings. Attendance also has declined this season and some fans have been clamoring for significant changes.

Pacers president of basketball operations Kevin Pritchard appears to be siding with those fans after making two key trades in less than 48 hours.

The first deal — sending

Now, Pritchard has pulled off another major trade by getting Haliburton, a promising 21-year-old point guard who the Kings took with the No. 12 overall pick in 2020. He's averaging 14.3 points, is 11th in the NBA with 7.4 assists and tied for sixth with 1.7 steals. Indiana believes Haliburton can become the elite point guard they've been seeking.

They're also getting Hield, a 6-foot-4 shooting guard who is third in the NBA in 3-pointers.

Thompson could provide depth in the post, where Indiana has been extremely thin lately. And his expiring contract was also attractive because it could help free up salary-cap room to help the Pacers become a player in free agency this summer.

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