NBA Rumors: Chris Duarte Traded to Kings; Pacers Get 2 Second-Round Draft Picks

The Indiana Pacers are trading guard Chris Duarte to the Sacramento Kings on Thursday for second-round picks in 2028 (via Dallas) and 2030, per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

Duarte, 26, was Indiana's first-round pick in the 2021 NBA draft, going No. 13 overall.

He offered mixed results in his two seasons. As a rookie he was very solid, averaging 13.1 points, 4.1 rebounds, 2.1 assists and a steal in 55 contests, shooting 43.2 percent from the field and 36.9 percent from three.

But he struggled tremendously last season, averaging just 7.9 points, 2.5 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 49 games, shooting 36.9 percent from the field and 31.6 percent from three.

Injuries didn't help. Ankle issues hampered him in particular during the 2022-23 season, costing him nearly half the campaign.

"Really unfortunate injuries. Stuff happens," he told reporters after the season. "You've just got to deal with that and keep moving forward."

The Pacers also played a different style this past season after Domantas Sabonis was traded to the Sacramento Kings and Malcolm Brogdon ended up with the Boston Celtics, increasing their pace of play. Duarte seemed to struggle adjusting.

In Sacramento, he'll give the team more perimeter defense on the wing and will look to carve out a rotation spot behind players like Davion Mitchell, Harrison Barnes, Kevin Huerter and Malik Monk, among others.

The Kings have a lot of depth, so there's no guarantee Duarte will crack the rotation and earn meaningful minutes.

Indiana, meanwhile, has quietly had a very solid offseason, signing Bruce Brown Jr., trading for Obi Toppin and acquiring forward Jarace Walker via draft night trade.

The Pacers probably aren't a playoff team at this point, but they continue building a solid roster around young star Tyrese Haliburton. Adding two second-rounders to replace the draft capital lost in the Toppin deal made sense for a player in Duarte who seemingly needed a change of scenery.