The tale of the Los Angeles Lakers took another blow this season after their 18th loss. In a beatdown, they lost to the surprise package of this year, the Sacramento Kings. Heavy criticism followed the Lakers’ way after they traded away their former 12th pick, Tyrese Haliburton to the Indiana Pacers. However, with the story unfolding this season, the Kings look to be all set for a playoff berth. After suffering a loss to Domantas Sabonis and the Kings, LeBron James made an honest admission on the Pacers-Kings exchange. Notably, he said the trade was a once-in-a-blue-moon occurrence as both sides got better.

Sabonis and Haliburton were both making their names before switching sides. The former Indiana big man came off making consecutive All-Star appearances establishing himself as a solid big man. On the other side, the 22-year-old Haliburton was in his second year making the case to be a creative playmaker. However, arguably no fans saw these two become the headline for a trade. Likewise, significant scrutiny followed both sides as the switch was made final.

However, as this season has shown, the Kings and Pacers are excelling with their new faces. Even LeBron James acknowledged the benefit of the trade on both sides. However, NBA fans debated which side truly went out as the winner in the tightly debated trade.

LeBron James makes fans scratch their heads on Pacers-Kings blockbuster trade

James and co. became victims to Sabonis’ recent domination as the Kings beat the Lakers 134-120. They improved to 17-13 for the season as well. Enjoying their spot as the 6th seed, the Kings have a serious shot at breaking their decade-long drought to make it into the postseason. And a critical part of their ascend comes from Sabonis taking the wheel.

Likewise, facing off against both the Kings and the Pacers, LeBron James said, “It’s very rare when a trade works well for both franchises… The Tyrese Haliburton and Domantas Sabonis trade has worked well for both franchises.” 

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While the Akron Hammer felt both sides emerged victorious, it created an uproar among NBA Twitter to determine who really came out on top.

As Tyrese Haliburton moved away from the Kings, he instantly took the role of the primary decision-maker. Running an offense while increasing the volume of his scoring, the 22-year-old leads the league in assists with 10.6 per contest. Moreover, he can create a safe offensive system with limited turnovers. The 6’5″ guard has a unique way of seeing the game and makes the right play more often than not. He is also responsible for assisting 49% of the field goals while on the floor.

Here are some of the reactions from NBA Twitter:

On the other hand, Sabonis is putting up identical numbers to his All-Star campaigns. A machine on the glass, the Lithuanian battles it out in each possession. He is currently tied with the reigning MVP Nikola Jokic for the most double-doubles, with 21 this season. Responsible for 5.1 wins this season for the Kings, Sabonis has made a stellar case to be a third-time All-Star.

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Both the Indiana Pacers and the Sacramento Kings have leaped with their new force. However, success might be the true determinant in basing a winner of the trade. With both sides having a bright future ahead, who do you think will find more success? Let us know your views in the comments below.