When the Pacers and Kings pulled off a blockbuster, six-player trade on Feb. 8, fans of both teams quickly noted March 23 in their calendars — the date that Sacramento was scheduled to visit Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
On the eve of that date, Kings-turned-Pacers Buddy Hield and Tyrese Haliburton downplayed its significance.
Hield insisted "it's just basketball." Haliburton said his family and friends are "behind the narrative" much more than he is.
But while they may not have the date circled in their calendars, there will certainly be added emotions for both players on Wednesday night.
Hield spent five years in Sacramento, acquired by the Kings from New Orleans as a rookie in the DeMarcus Cousins trade in Feb. 2017. Haliburton thought he was a franchise cornerstone after the Kings drafted him with the 12th overall pick in 2021 and has openly spoke about how blindsided he was by the news he was being dealt to Indiana.
Both Hield and Haliburton have strong relationships with numerous players, coaches, and staffers in Sacramento, many of whom they will see in person for the first time since being traded.
The same will be true on the opposite sideline, as the Pacers will welcome back two players who played key roles and were popular in the locker room over the past three seasons in Justin Holiday and Jeremy Lamb (two-time All-Star Domantas Sabonis will not travel to Indiana with the Kings due to a knee injury).
There will be plenty of handshakes and hugs before Wednesday's game. And then when the teams hit the floor, they'll get after one another.
"There's a competitive aspect of it, for sure," Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle said following Tuesday's practice at the Ascension St. Vincent Center. "Buddy was there a lot of years and Ty was there for a couple very intense years. So they both were very connected to the franchise."
"I'm definitely excited," Haliburton said of having the Kings visit his new home arena. "Looking forward to just getting out there and competing and seeing some familiar faces. It'll be a good time."
Six weeks after the trade, both players are flourishing in Indiana.
After sharing time at point guard with De'Aaron Fox in the Kings' backcourt, Haliburton has been handed the keys' to the Pacers offense. His scoring is up, from 14.3 points per game in Sacramento to 17.4 in his first 16 games in Indiana. So are his assists, from 7.4 to 9.1, and his field-goal percentage, from .457 to .495.
The 22-year-old has topped 20 points eight times so far in his Pacers career and recorded six double-doubles. And he has remained deadly from 3-point range, knocking down 41.2 percent of his 3-point attempts with the Blue & Gold, right on par with his career average.
While Haliburton figures to be a franchise cornerstone for years to come, Hield has been just as impressive so far in Indiana. The 29-year-old had been moved to a bench role in Sacramento this season after three seasons as a starter. With the Pacers, Carlisle has inserted Hield back into the starting lineup and given him plenty of freedom and opportunity to make plays.
Known primarily for his scoring, Hield certainly hasn't disappointed in that category. He dropped 36 points in just his third game with the Pacers and has averaged 18.4 points over 16 games in Indiana, a full four points higher than his scoring average this season in Sacramento.
But more surprisingly, Hield has shown tremendous growth as a playmaker, dishing out five assists per game with the Pacers. He averaged just 1.9 assists per game this season for the Kings and has never averaged more than 3.6 in any season in his career.
"Different style, different opportunity," Hield said of his playmaking success. "I think Rick gave me a better opportunity than (I had in) Sacramento that helps me to show that. When I wanted to (do more with the ball), they just wanted me to be a corner catch-and-shoot guy. So now I've been able to show what I can do and just be free and playing basketball happy again."
Both players will be all smiles on Wednesday when they reunite with their friends from Sacramento. But after the final buzzer sounds and they exchange their final pleasantries with old teammates, they'll head back to the home locker room, a place that's already become comfortable for them both.