Monte McNair addresses ‘roll-the-dice’ Haliburton trade originally appeared on NBC Sports Bayarea
It has been four days since the Kings sent second-year rising star point guard Tyrese Haliburton to the Indiana Pacers.
Still, many are trying to make sense of the blockbuster trade that shocked the NBA world when the news broke.
Along with Haliburton, Sacramento sent Buddy Hield and Tristan Thompson to the Pacers for Domantas Sabonis, Justin Holiday, Jeremy Lamb and a 2023 second-round draft pick.
Kings general manager Monte McNair on Saturday addressed the media in a press conference for the first time since the emotional trade.
“Ty’s a fantastic player as we all know, certainly a fantastic person as well,” McNair told reporters ahead of the Kings-Washington Wizards game. “In this league, it’s tough and we know we have to give up talent to get talent. Any move can be viewed as a roll-the-dice, but our job is to make those decisions that we think put us in the best place to succeed going forward. Bringing in a two-time All-Star who is 25, we think who will not be with us in the short term but we hope for a long future here in Sacramento, in addition to two other guys who are proven winners in this league. That opportunity was something we couldn’t pass on.”
Haliburton, 21, was no doubt a fan favorite in Sactown.
Like many fans in the 916, Haliburton was shocked with the move and didn’t hide his emotions when he landed in Indy.
Haliburton was averaging 14.3 points, 7.4 assists and 3.9 rebounds in his sophomore year with the Kings before being traded.
“Yeah, they didn’t want me,” Haliburton told reporters in Indiana. “They went a different direction. That’s part of the business. It happens. I’m excited to be here. Excited to get going.
“I put a lot of love, a lot of trust in Sacramento and kind of immersed myself in the community, with the people. They just got rid of me. That’s part of the business. That’s probably my best trait is like somebody who just loves hard. I want to be here. I want to be a part of it. It can be my biggest upside but it can be a big downfall too.”
I asked Tyrese Haliburton about not having the chance to rebuild with the Kings:
âThey ainât want me. ⦠Itâs part of the business.â@jxlorenzi then asked if thereâs any difficulty to trust a new franchise:
âIt hurt when I got traded. ⦠Iâmma put all I got into this.â #Pacers pic.twitter.com/L3TDM0awFA
— James Boyd (@RomeovilleKid) February 10, 2022
But Haliburton’s emotion turned into motivation as he made his Pacers debut on Friday, recording a game-high 23 points, six assists and three rebounds against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
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As far as McNair and the Kings, Sacramento is focused on the future with their newest additions.
McNair said he’s excited for the remaining 25 games of the season, but even more eager for next year and the years following.
And he’s ready to not just make the playoffs, but compete there.
Saturday’s matchup against the Wizards will hint at what that future will look like, as all new pieces to the roster will be available to play.