Domantas Sabonis on the new-look Indiana Pacers: 'They're having a great season'

Former Pacer Domantas Sabonis discusses the new-look Indiana Pacers

SACRAMENTO — Sacramento Kings center Domantas Sabonis viewed going against the Indiana Pacers this past Wednesday as "just another game on the schedule." The two-time All-Star big man went from a developing perimeter forward to a talented, bruising interior big man during five seasons with the Pacers before the team traded him to the Kings back in February. He grew significantly with the blue and gold both as a player and person, and now he's one of the premier talents in the NBA.

Wednesday night in Sacramento was Sabonis's first time going against Indiana since the trade. He has been a key piece for an 11-9 Kings team, but they were on a three-game losing streak entering the game with the Pacers. That was Sabonis' focus earlier this week, ending that streak. It just so happened that he would be trying to do so against his former team.

The night before the game, Sabonis spent time with some Pacers players and staff to catch up. He went to dinner with T.J. McConnell and Chris Duarte, and McConnell shared that they got to meet Sabonis' son, who was born just over a month after the trade. McConnell and Sabonis are close, and they chatted during the meal about McConnell's love of wine since Sabonis now lives closer to Napa Valley.

"I was about to see what it would take to buy that house from him," McConnell joked.

But the following day, it was all business. Sabonis had to prepare for a game against his old team, and his squad desperately needed a win.

He detailed some of what he sees in the new-look Pacers early in the day before the emotional game began. "They're playing a lot faster... they're shooting the ball, running. Fast, fast-paced team. I feel like it's going to be a fun game today," Sabonis explained. Indiana currently leads the NBA in pace, so his assessment was spot on. 

He also shared that, despite being all business for the game, he was excited to see his former teammates. Or at least the few that remain — only seven of the Pacers 17 current players overlapped with Sabonis last season.

There were a few chats pregame with some Pacers staffers, but once the game started, the Lithuanian big man was dialed in. He had seven points, six rebounds, and four assists in just the first quarter, and he was nearing a double-double by halftime. He finished with 11 points, ten rebounds, and seven assists while his team won by 23. It was a typical Sabonis performance, he made plays with his body and changed the geometry of the game on offense. 

"It was fun... it was fun seeing a lot of familiar faces," he said after the game. There were more handshakes and hugs at midcourt at the conclusion of the game than there are on a typical night in the NBA.

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Sabonis was with Indiana for four-and-a-half seasons, and he was an All-Star in 2019 and 2020. He helped the Pacers reach the playoffs three different times, though the team never found any postseason success in that span.

During that time, the bruising big man grew up. He transformed his body and became one of the NBA's best rebounders. His abilities setting screens and making passes became advanced. His defense improved. He was imperfect, but he was still a terrific player for the blue and gold, and he was their best player for almost two years.

But the team was struggling during his final campaigns, and it was best for Indiana to move on and change directions. So they did, sending Sabonis and two others to Sacramento for Tyrese Haliburton, Buddy Hield, and Tristan Thompson.

Sabonis remembers where he was when the trade went down. "We were on the road in Atlanta when it happened," he said. "The organization makes decisions, it's part of the NBA nowadays. It's completely fine, I understand it's part of the business. I'm happy both sides are doing great."

The trade has worked out well for both squads, as he alluded to. They are both over .500 though December 3 and are surprising many. Sabonis and Haliburton are re-shaping their new franchises after the deal. It has been a win-win.

"We're doing great here... Tyrese is playing amazing. He's doing amazing, he's playing at an All-Star level. Looks like they're having a lot of fun. It worked out for both sides," Sabonis said of the trade.

With the Kings, Sabonis shares the court with one of the fastest players in the NBA in De'Aaron Fox. Fox's speed with the ball pairs exceptionally well with Sabonis' ability to set screens, roll to the basket, and find his open teammates. The Kings have a +3.84 net rating with both players on the floor.

The Pacers, meanwhile, have been great with Haliburton. The 22-year old guard is leading the NBA in assists by quite a bit, and his scoring has taken a huge jump this season. He's in the All-Star conversation, certainly, and he already once won Eastern Conference Player of the Week once. Sabonis noted that Haliburton was a big part of the Kings scouting report against the Pacers, and the Kings did a solid job slowing down their old player.

Because the Pacers are now led by a guard more so than a big, their style has dramatically changed. Sabonis described it well. "They have a lot of guards, guys are running fast. Myles [Turner] is at the five now, playing in kind of a different role too. He's not shooting as many threes as he used to. He's rolling," Sabonis said of the new-look Pacers. "I'm just happy for all of them. They're all doing great, they're having a great season."

Since the trade happened, members of both franchises have shared a similar message — something to the effect of "You have to give up talent to acquire talent." Both organizations have improved their immediate direction since the deal went down, Sabonis and Haliburton have both been great fits with their new teams. It's a rare NBA trade that is clearly a win-win deal so soon after it takes place.

But Sabonis remembers what Indiana did for his career, and how they helped develop him into a talented enough player to be considered fair value in a deal involving Haliburton.

"I'm here because of [the Pacers]. That's where my career really took off and exploded," Sabonis shared. "They took a chance on me in that [2017] trade... we went out there, we took advantage. Kind of put them back on the map... A big part of my NBA career is there."

Sacramento Kings center Domantas Sabonis speaks to the media on November 30, 2022 (photo credit: AllPacers)

Now, Sabonis has his first game against the new-look Pacers out of the way. Some of the emotions of the matchup are gone. But the big man still has not played in Indiana since being traded away — he missed a chance to play in Indianapolis last season with a knee injury. His return will be a moving day for the big man, though he wasn't sure what the exact date of the game in Indiana is.

It's February 3, 2023. And he's ready for it. "Later in the season when I go [to Indiana], I feel like it's going to be different," Sabonis said of playing against the Pacers in Gainbridge Fieldhouse. "There's a lot of faces, people at the arena, friendships that I've made there over the last six years. I'm definitely looking forward to it."

That game, much like Haliburton's first game back in Sacramento, will have some fanfare. The crowd will be large as it welcomes the big man back to Indiana, and there could be a tribute video played on the jumbotron before the game. Sabonis meant a lot to the Pacers franchise, and he will be welcomed back with open arms.

In the meantime, though, the big man is impressed with the revamped Pacers from afar. And on Wednesday, he crushed that team he's so impressed with.

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