SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Kings general manager Monte McNair made his first big move to transform Sacramento's roster Tuesday, acquiring two-time All-Star Domantas Sabonis in a blockbuster trade with the Indiana Pacers.
League sources told The Sacramento Bee the Kings have agreed to a deal that will send Tyrese Haliburton, Buddy Hield and Tristan Thompson to Indiana in exchange for Sabonis, Justin Holiday, Jeremy Lamb and a 2027 second-round draft pick. The news was first reported by ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.
Sabonis, 25, is averaging 18.9 points, 12.1 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 1.0 blocks for the Pacers this season. Sabonis is in the second year of a four-year, $74.9 million deal. He is owed $18.5 million next season and $19.4 million in 2023-24.
Holiday, 32, is a 6-6 small forward who has started 40 games for the Pacers this season. He is averaging 11.0 points and 2.8 rebounds while shooting 37.8% on 6.9 3-point attempts per game. He is owed $6.3 million next season in the final year of a three-year, $18 million deal.
Lamb, 29, is a 6-5 shooting guard who was averaging 7.1 points and 2.4 rebounds in a backup role for the Pacers. He is making $10.5 million this season in the final year of a three-year, $31.5 million deal.
The Kings are currently 13th in the Western Conference, two games behind the New Orleans Pelicans for the final play-in spot. McNair has sought to bring an All-Star caliber player to Sacramento in an effort to end the franchise's record-tying 15-year playoff drought, but the Kings had to pay a hefty price.
Haliburton, 21, has emerged as one of the most promising young players in the league since coming out of Iowa State as the No. 12 pick in the 2020 NBA draft. The 2021 Rookie of the Year finalist is averaging 13.0 points, 3.0 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 1.3 steals in his second season.
Hield, 29, departs as the franchise's all-time leader in 3-point goals with 1,248. Hield spent parts of six seasons in Sacramento after being acquired in the trade that sent DeMarcus Cousins to the New Orleans Pelicans in 2017.
Hield's numbers have dropped considerably since he signed a four-year, $94 million extension with the Kings in 2019. Hield averaged 20.7 points per game while shooting 42.7% from 3-point range in 2018-19, but this season he is averaging 14.4 points while shooting a career-low 36.8% from beyond the arc.
Thompson, 30, has appeared in 30 games for the Kings this season, averaging 6.2 points and 5.4 rebounds.
