How big is the Haliburton move? Here are the biggest Kings trades of all-time
Time will tell if this trade works, or if it’s a miss or worse.
The Kings on Tuesday traded second-year guard Tyrese Haliburton, whom many consider the team’s best player, and their highest-paid player in Buddy Hield, and a throw-in Tristan Thompson to the Indiana Pacers. Sacramento received two-time All-Star power forward Domantas Sabonis and solid cogs Justin Holiday, a small forward, shooting guard Jeremy Lamb and a second-round draft pick.
Some of the most interesting news for the Kings over the decades have been tied to trades. Here are the biggest trades in Kings history, since the franchise relocated from Kansas City to Sacramento in 1985:
Damaged good, 1986
In their first Sacramento season, Kings management fell in love with guard Derek Smith of the Clippers, mainly because he had big games against them. So Sacramento broke apart its playoff team of 1985-86 to acquire Smith in exchange for guards Larry Drew and Mike Woodson and a 1988 first-round pick. Also coming aboard with Smith was Franklin Edwards and Junior Bridgeman. Smith had bad knees, didn’t want to be a King and was waived during his third season here, averaging just 13.8 points in 116 games. Bridgeman never played for the Kings and Edwards rarely did. Said Smith after the trade, “I’m a free man!”
One-time Kings coach/front-office guru Jerry Reynolds said years later, “That trade crippled us. It took us 10 years to recover.”
Ainge in brief, 1989
Starving for tenacity and talent, the Kings dealt big men Joe Kleine and Ed Pinckney to the Boston Celtics for Danny Ainge and Brad Lohaus. Kleine, the Kings’ first-rounder in 1985, found out about the trade while his wife Dana was giving birth to their first son. A two-time NBA champion with the Celtics, the 6-5 Ainge played just half a season with the Kings, averaging 20.3 points and 6.7 assists, including going for 45 against the Warriors before being dealt to Portland in 1990.
The Rock arrives, 1991
The Kings were desperate for a player, a star, and the Golden State Warriors were eager for a fresh look, so Don Nelson traded for Kings rookie holdout Billy Owens for Mitch Richmond, part of the trio with Tim Hardaway and Chris Mullin that made Golden State’s “Run TMC” era, a fun and prolific group but one that only went 81-83 in two seasons. Owens was solid in his three Warriors seasons and Richmond had his best seasons in Sacramento, a six-time All-Star whose No. 2 jersey is retired. Richmond is a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
CWebb injects new life, 1998
Though Richmond had his best years with the Kings, he was ready to leave by 1998, and the Kings needed to acquire an All-Star. They got one in Chris Webber, the No. 1 overall pick in the 1992 draft, who was traded to Washington after one rocky season with the Warriors. Webber initially didn’t want to report to Sacramento, considered for years the Siberia of the NBA, or where careers go to rot. When Webber’s father, Mayce, offered to report for him and take his salary, Webber caved, got in shape, blended in beautifully with Vlade Divac and Jason Williams, and the fun was on. Webber was a four-time All-Star with the Kings, averaging 23.5 points. 10.6 rebounds and 4.8 assists. His No. 4 is in the Golden 1 Center rafters and he is in the Hall of Fame.
DC Express, 2000
The Kings sent forward Corliss Williamson, who was drafted in the first round by the club in 1995, to the Toronto Raptors for guard Doug Christie. A defender, competitor and energizer, Christie was a mainstay and remains beloved by fans.
Bibby on board, 2001
The Kings ended years of drudgery by making the playoffs in 1998, thanks in large part to flashy guard Jason Williams, but Sacramento needed a steady player at the point. That was Mike Bibby, acquired in a deal with the Vancouver Grizzlies. Bibby was the driving force for the Kings in the epic 2002 Western Conference title run, and he averaged 17.9 points and 5.6 assists in 51 playoff games from 2002-2006.
Webber, Part II
The Kings had their best run with Webber, within striking distance of the NBA Finals in 2002, but his knee gave way in 2003. By 2005, Webber was gone, shipped to Philadelphia for Brian Skinner, Kenny Thomas and Corliss Williamson, the one-time Kings first-rounder. The Kings managed to reach the playoffs in 2005 and again in 2006, but have not fielded a winner since.
Grit for shooting, 2006
The Kings shipped Peja Stojakovic, their greatest 3-point shooter, a three-time All-Star and a beloved member of the franchise, to Indiana for Ron Artest. Artest was a defensive-minded strongman who earned NBA Defensive Player of the Year honors but could be a considerable headache. Artest, now known as Metta Sandiford-Artest, helped the Kings reach their final last playoff appearance, in 2006. The Kings went 14-5 immediately after he joined ranks.
Boogie for Buddy, 2017
DeMarcus Cousins was a big man with big-time talent, but was also a big headache to coaches, including one who tossed him out of practice and another who was going to toss him off the team flight. Cousins was dealt to New Orleans for rookie Buddy Hield, some additional spare parts and a first-rounder in 2017, which turned out to be De’Aaron Fox. In four Kings seasons with Cousins, Sacramento’s best season was 33 victories.
This story was originally published February 8, 2022 at 1:33 PM.