Report: Indiana Pacers wing Chris Duarte traded to Sacramento Kings
According to a report from Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium, the Indiana Pacers are close to trading wing Chris Duarte to the Sacramento Kings.
Charania tweeted early on Friday that the Pacers and Kings are "nearing a trade sending guard Chris Duarte to the Sacramento Kings for draft compensation." More details were not provided.
James Ham of The Kings Beat and ESPN1320 in Sacramento confirmed that a deal is being discussed. If the trade goes through, Duarte would be reunited with Kings center Domantas Sabonis, who was Duarte's teammate to begin his career with Indiana.
Duarte had a strong rookie season, averaging 13.1 points per game and being named to the NBA's All-Rookie Second-Team. He showed promise both as a three-point shooter and defender and he was praised by many superstars around the NBA, including Russell Westbrook, Kevin Durant, and LeBron James.
This past season, though, Duarte had a down year. He never quite adjusted to the Pacers' faster-paced style, and he struggled without Sabonis. They had excellent chemistry and even met up in Sacramento this past season when Indiana visited for a game.
On top of that, Duarte dealt with numerous injuries, mostly to his ankle, in 2022-23. He never found his rhythm despite a few solid outings. "Really unfortunate injuries. Stuff happens," Duarte said at his exit interview.
The compensation going to Indiana in the trade is still unknown. This story will be updated when it is revealed or reported. Given what is currently known, the Pacers now have a maximum of roughly $36.3 million in salary cap space and two roster spots to play with in free agency.
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