If it was still a debate before, it isn't one anymore: the Indiana Pacers have officially won the Tyrese Haliburton-Domantas Sabonis trade with the Sacramento Kings from 2022, and their spot in the 2025 NBA Finals has proved that.
After eliminating the New York Knicks in Game 6 of the conference finals, the Pacers are back in the NBA Finals for the first time since 2000 and will take on the Oklahoma City Thunder. There are plenty of players and coaches who deserve credit for their latest achievement. However, arguably none of them have been as crucial to the Pacers' run as Haliburton has been.
Since landing Haliburton, the Pacers have had two consecutive conference finals appearances and are now just four wins away from winning their first NBA Championship in franchise history. Sabonis was a great player for Indiana, and he became even better in Sacramento, but the Pacers won the trade, and it should only get better for them from here on out.
Indiana has had much more team success than the Kings since the trade
At first, the trade looked like a potential win for the Kings. In Sabonis' first full year with them, the Kings finished 48-34, made their first playoff appearance in nearly two decades, and were statistically one of the greatest offenses in league history at the time. Additionally, head coach Mike Brown won the Coach of the Year award. However, the Kings have not had much team success since, and Sabonis could be on his way out as soon as this offseason.
There is no doubt that the former Pacer has thrived in Sacramento individually since the trade. He has been the rebounding champion in each of his three full seasons with the Kings and has received MVP votes, making this trade initially seem even. However, given Indiana's recent success, the trade has taken a major turn in their favor.
What makes the Haliburton trade so much better for the Pacers is that he and the team likely haven't hit their peak just yet. The Wisconsin native is only 25 years old and has already established himself as one of the top point guards in the league. As it stands, the future is bright for him and the Pacers, and it remains to be seen exactly how far they can go.
An NBA Finals appearance seemed like a pipe dream for the team not too long ago. However, the Pacers are now within reach of bringing a title home to Indiana. Whether they will do so or not remains to be seen. Either way, the team is in a great position now and in the future, and a lot of that can be credited to the Haliburton trade the team made just a few years ago.