The Indiana Pacers did exactly what they said that they would, leading up to the 2022 NBA trade deadline. They wanted to move on from some veteran players, shake up the roster, and put the team in a better position for the future.
The Pacers ended up completing three trades as they were one of the most active teams in the week leading up to and on deadline day. All in all, Indiana traded away five players and two second-round picks and got back five players, a first-round draft pick, and three second-round picks.
The biggest and most surprising trade that they completed was with the Sacramento Kings. Desperate to snap a 15-year playoff drought, the Kings made an aggressive offer for Domantas Sabonis, also landing Jeremy Lamb and Justin Holiday in the deal. To acquire those three players, Tyrese Haliburton, Buddy Hield, and Tristan Thompson were sent to Indiana.
It was a deal that shocked many people as Haliburton was not included in any trade talks previously, even with the Philadelphia 76ers centered around Ben Simmons. It was a trade many people believe Indiana won handily, as Haliburton looks to be a future All-Star and is two years younger than their 2021 first-round pick, Davion Mitchell.
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But, the Kings weren’t the only team that the Indiana Pacers had discussions about Sabonis with. One team they had at least exploratory talks with was the Phoenix Suns.
The Suns are rolling through the regular season as they have the best record in the NBA at 45-10, 4.5 games clear of the Golden State Warriors. It would have been a major shake-up to acquire Sabonis midseason, but it was something that was discussed with Deandre Ayton as a potential piece heading back to Indiana. Zach Lowe of ESPN shared the news.
“The Pacers and Phoenix Suns had brief dialogue around Sabonis and Deandre Ayton, multiple sources say. It did not get far, sources say, and may have been mostly informal and broadly exploratory — and aimed at the future rather than anything now. No formal offer was ever made by either side. The Sacramento Kings coming with Haliburton rendered everything else moot for the Pacers. The Suns not immediately hanging up the phone and tossing it out a high-story window at the prospect of shaking anything up — even in the offseason — is notable, though.”
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Lowe noted that there was a way for a sign-and-trade to be completed between the teams in the summer should it have come down to that. But, once Haliburton was put on the table, the Pacers rightfully focused on a deal with the Sacramento Kings.
It was highly unlikely the Suns would have even considered a deal of that magnitude in the middle of the season. Their chemistry is unmatched right now and Ayton, despite being injured, is a better fit for what they need in the middle than Sabonis would be.
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The Phoenix Suns and Indiana Pacers did end up making a deal, as Indiana sent Torrey Craig to Phoenix, where he spent the end of the 2020-21 season on their run to the NBA Finals. In return, the Suns sent Jalen Smith and a second-round pick to Indiana.
