Immediately after the Indiana Pacers traded for Tyrese Haliburton from the Sacramento Kings, head coach Rick Carlisle immediately gave him the keys to the team. Over three years later, this decision has aged incredibly well, and it is the biggest reason Indiana has been so successful recently.
Carlisle recently made an appearance on "The Zach Lowe Show" and revealed that he told the Wisconsin native he is going to run the Pacers after he was traded there.
"My relationship with Tyrese, the most compelling moment of that relationship was when he came here in the trade in late January of '22, he was shocked that they traded him. ... We met at a restaurant. It was him, Buddy Hield, I think Tristan Thompson was in the deal as well, and Ty was the last guy to walk in," Carlisle said."
"I went up, and I shook hands, I looked him in the eye, and I said, 'I know how you feel. I know this is a shocking situation, but look me in the eyes, and watch what I'm telling you: This is your team. You have the opportunity of a lifetime here. I'm turning the keys over to you. I don't want to call plays. I don't want to run a lot of plays. You're running this thing, and I am giving you my trust right now going forward.'"
Given that Haliburton was essentially a castaway from the Kings, this was a very bold move by Carlisle. However, it is no secret that he was a fan of the Iowa State alum as he wanted him in the 2020 NBA Draft when he was with the Dallas Mavericks.
At the time, Haliburton had just one full season under his belt. He finished third in Rookie of the Year voting and looked like a solid player, averaging 13 points, 5.3 assists, and 3 rebounds per game. It was clear that he had star potential in the NBA, and Carlisle saw that.
So far, trading for Haliburton has been an incredible decision for the Pacers that should continue to age well. With him on the roster, Indiana has made it to two conference finals and took the best team in the league to Game 7 of the NBA Finals in 2025.
Unfortunately for the Pacers, they will have to navigate through life without Haliburton for a season as he recovers from an Achilles injury. Even so, he and the team have an incredibly bright future and should be able to re-establish themselves as title contenders soon enough.
Tyrese Haliburton will continue to be the perfect point guard for Indiana
He might not be the best point guard in the league, but the Pacers probably don't want anybody besides Haliburton running the show for them.
The 25-year-old is an elite playmaker and passer, and he is able to make quick decisions very efficiently. Given that the Pacers like to play a fast-paced offense that relies on pushing the tempo and improvisation, Haliburton is the exact player they need at point guard to succeed.
With him out for next season, Indiana will slide Andrew Nembhard over to the point. There is a lot to like about Nembhard as the Pacers' point guard. He has stepped up in Haliburton's absence before, and it is easy to forget that he is a natural point guard because of how good he is as a complementary piece to Haliburton. However, the Pacers' offense will likely look different with him leading the way, and it is going to become apparent just how crucial Haliburton is to their success.
Regardless, Haliburton is Indiana's point guard of the future, and the team should feel very confident about that, even in spite of his injury. It was a bold one, but Carlisle's decision has clearly paid off, and it will continue to do so for a long time.