Pacers trade Domantas Sabonis to Kings for Hailburton

Domantas Sabonis #11 of the Indiana Pacers watches the action against the Milwaukee Bucks at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on February 12, 2020 in Indianapolis, …

Domantas Sabonis #11 of the Indiana Pacers watches the action against the Milwaukee Bucks at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on February 12, 2020 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)

by: Joe Hopkins

Posted: Feb 8, 2022 / 02:04 PM EST

Updated: Feb 8, 2022 / 03:01 PM EST

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INDIANAPOLIS — The Indiana Pacers are trading away All-Star power forward Domantas Sabonis to the Sacramento Kings as part of a deal that involves six players, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported Tuesday.

Per Wojnarowski, the Pacers are sending Sabonis, forward Justin Holiday, guard Jeremy Lamb and a 2027 second-round draft pick to the Kings in exchange for guards Tyrese Hailburton and Buddy Hield and center Tristan Thompson.

PACERS TRADED AWAY

The Pacers acquired Sabonis in the summer of 2017 when they traded Paul George to the Oklahoma City Thunder. Sabonis has averaged over 18 points and 12 rebounds per game each of the three seasons and was named an All-Star in 2020 and 2021.

Holiday has 40 starts for Indiana this season and averaged 11 points per game (PPG). Lamb has averaged 7.1 PPG this season coming off the bench.

PACERS AQUIRED

Hailburton — the 12th overall pick in 2020 — is playing well as he comes to the Circle City. He has averaged over 17 points, 9 assists and 2 turnover over his last 24 games, according to StatMuse. Hailburton is also a 41.3% career three-point shooter and became a full-time starter for the Kings this season.

Hield is a scorer who averaged over 14 PPG coming off the bench for Sacramento this season. The 29-year-old averaged a career-high 20.7 PPG during the 2018-2019 season and has shot 42.9% from three-point range over his career.

Thompson, an 11-year veteran, has averaged 6.2 points and a career-low 5.4 rebounds in 30 games this season. He started only three games for the Kings.

ANALYSIS

Indiana appears to be in a rebuilding phase. On Sunday, the team traded second leading scorer Caris LeVert to the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Pacers received several draft picks in return for the guard, including a lottery-protected 2022 first-round pick and two second-round picks.

“The Domantas Sabonis-Tyrese Haliburton trade will likely have a significant impact on Myles Turner’s future with the Pacers. Turner gets to play center now and appears thrilled with the idea of playing with Haliburton,” Wojnarowski Tweeted Tuesday.