Tyrese Haliburton Says it 'Hurt' When Kings Traded SG to Pacers for Domantas Sabonis

Second-year guard Tyrese Haliburton did not hold back when explaining his emotions after being traded from the Sacramento Kings to the Indiana Pacers. He said that it hit him hard but also expressed optimism for his new situation.

"It hurt when I got traded, because I loved being there, I loved the people," Haliburton told reporters on Thursday. "But coming here, I'm gonna do the same thing. They've showed me nothing but love since I've got here, they're another organization taking a chance on me when they have no reason to, so I'm gonna put everything I've got into this."

Haliburton was sent to Indiana on Wednesday along with Buddy Hield and Tristan Thompson in the deal that sent two-time All-Star forward Domantas Sabonis to Sacramento with Jeremy Lamb, Justin Holiday and a 2023 second-round pick.

A promising young combo guard, Haliburton was thought to be untouchable in the Kings organization, and it came as a surprise that the team moved him. Haliburton had also expressed a desire to be a part of leading the turnaround for Sacramento, which has been rebuilding for quite some time.

Haliburton admitted he finds it "scary" to trust another organization after the way the trade went down. He mentioned that he had immersed himself in the Sacramento community and wasn't ready to leave. But Haliburton said he's aware that his emotions might just be a result of his personality, describing himself as someone who "loves hard."

The 21-year-old has averaged 14.3 points and 7.4 assists in 51 games this season. In his final contest with Sacramento, he dished out a career-high 17 assists to go with 13 points in a 113-103 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Haliburton will be a key part of the Pacers' rebuild. Indiana tore down its roster at this year's trade deadline, reshaping it under head coach Rick Carlisle. The team's backcourt of the future now includes Haliburton, rookie Chris Duarte and veteran Malcolm Brogdon, who is out with an Achilles injury.

The Pacers will host the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday, and Haliburton is likely to make his team debut in the game.