Tyrese Haliburton is the future of the Sacramento Kings

Amidst the chaos of the NBA right now, the Sacramento Kings have found the key to the future. Tyrese Haliburton has been phenomenal over the past few games, making De’Aaron Fox a bit more tradeable.

Haliburton was the 12th overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft and has lived up to the hype already in his young career. He finished his rookie season as a candidate for the NBA Rookie of the Year, finishing third in voting behind LaMelo Ball and Anthony Edwards. He also earned first-team honors for his incredible season.

Tyrese Haliburton is ready to lead the Sacramento Kings.

The Kings, just like basically every other team in the NBA, have been decimated by the ongoing COVID protocols. De’Aaron Fox hit the COVID list, which opened the door for the young guards behind him to show what they can do as the primary ball-handlers. Tyrese Haliburton did everything to prove his worth in Sacramento.

Since Fox went out, Haliburton has averaged 24 points and 10.7 assists over three starts. He has shot over 41 percent from three-point range on the season and over 57 percent during Fox’s absence. Building around Haliburton appears to be in the cards as the Kings search for a new future.

The rumors circulating about Fox – and several other Kings – being available in trade talks have made this conversation that much more important. Trading Fox, in my opinion, is not the best move for the franchise but I could certainly see the appeal.

He is a lackluster defender with two very promising young guards behind him on the roster. After already signing his extension, Fox is making a bunch of money on a team that does not have the playoffs in sight once again.

De’Aaron Fox could fetch a nice return in a trade that would allow the Kings to fill out the roster in a much better manner than they have done lately. The surplus of guards has left the Kings with clear holes in the frontcourt. Moving Fox for a valuable forward will definitely open the door for Haliburton and Davion Mitchell.

Tyrese has done everything you could ask for in his first season and a half with the Kings. If a deal is made for Fox, Haliburton should hit the ground running as the starting point guard. He has shown his ability to be a go-to scorer and deadly shooter from the perimeter.

Pairing Tyrese with a player like Jaylen Brown or Domantas Sabonis would be incredibly fun to watch, especially with Davion Mitchell being a feisty defender in the backcourt to help balance things out.

Things are looking up in Sacramento after some successful draft picks lately. While all of those selections have been competing for playing time in the backcourt, it does open the door for a megadeal that could bring in a star on the wing.

Tyrese Haliburton should take over as the franchise centerpiece if De’Aaron Fox is traded before the NBA trade deadline.