The Kings didn’t make a ton of moves this offseason, but one of the few of note was trading a couple of future second round picks to the Indiana Pacers for Chris Duarte.
Duarte was drafted 13th overall by the Pacers in 2021 and had a strong rookie campaign. An older rookie at 24 years old, Duarte averaged 13.1 points, 4.1 rebounds, 2.1 assists and a steal on his way to making the All-Rookie 2nd Team. So how did he end up in a situation where Indiana was so willing to ship him off for almost free?
Well, for one, the Pacers team changed dramatically from Duarte’s rookie season to his second. When Indiana drafted Duarte, they didn’t really have much guard depth, with veteran Jeremy Lamb being the only other real shooting guard in the rotation. That changed drastically when the Pacers and Kings made their big trade sending Domantas Sabonis for Tyrese Haliburton. Along with Haliburton came Buddy Hield, another guard, and Duarte was moved down in the rotation. Both Haliburton and Sabonis were the best playmakers for their teams, but they’re different playmakers. Haliburton is a much more traditional point guard, whereas Sabonis tends to utilize more of a dribble hand-off game. Duarte also suffered a toe injury that caused him to miss the last 12 games of the season.
That summer, the Pacers added even more guard depth. They drafted Bennedict Mathurin with the 6th overall pick, and also used their second rounder on Andrew Nembhard, another guard. Duarte had been drafted to a team that was trying to win now, but was now in the midst of a rebuild with the Pacers looking to get younger. It didn’t help matters that Duarte suffered an ankle injury shortly into his sophomore campaign that caused him to miss a chunk of time. By the time he came back, Mathurin and Nembhard had both secured spots in the rotation, and Duarte struggled with his new role. After shooting 43.2% from the field and 36.9% from three his rookie season, those percentages dropped drastically to 36.9% from the field and 31.6% from three respectively. In the end, Duarte just found himself in a crowded room in changed circumstances and wasn’t able to do enough to make himself stand out. It was unlikely he was going to be able to find the opportunity to breakout in Indiana given their current roster makeup, so a change in scenery might have been the best thing for his career. For more on Duarte’s history with the Pacers, I would highly recommend checking out our interview with Pacers writer Caitlin Cooper.
For the Kings, acquiring Duarte is a low risk move. Duarte won’t be asked to come in and be anything other than a role player. It’s very probable that even if he does well, he won’t crack the top 8 rotation. He’ll be taking Terence Davis’ role from last season, playing third string Shooting Guard behind Kevin Huerter and Malik Monk, and maybe occasionally playing some small-ball Small Forward. Davis was probably one of the most inconsistent Kings last season, but he at least proved to be a good shooter, making 36.6% of his attempts last year. That’s in line with where Duarte was at as a rookie. Duarte also had a reputation coming in as a solid defender, something Davis struggled with at times (much like his shooting, he was hot and cold in this department). Duarte wouldn’t be considered an elite defender by any means, but he was often tasked with guarding the opposing team’s best player. Defense was one of Sacramento’s few glaring weaknesses last year, and if Duarte can bring it on that end of the court, he has a chance to carve out a more significant role.
Hopefully last season was just an anomaly for Duarte and some better health and a change in scenery was all he needed. Reuniting with Sabonis should help as well. He’ll be competing with guys like Colby Jones, Kessler Edwards and maybe even Keon Ellis for minutes. He should have the edge, but he’ll need to showcase a return to form before anything is guaranteed.
As for me, I’ve always found voodoo to be extremely effective in overcoming obstacles.
I loved my pet voo, except for the voo doo.
DOO-DAR! DOO-DAR!
It will come down to 3 things for Duarte:
1) Sabonis. Duarte excelled playing next to Sabonis. His rookie numbers were approaching Hueter’s level from last season. Sabonis makes everyone around him better. The DHO transition from Huerter to Duarte should be more seamless.
2) Role. He’s not going to be expected to do much. I hope he just finds his role and flow within the team and locker room and does what he’s asked for when the time comes. There shouldn’t be a lot of pressure.
3) Health. If he continues to be plagued by injuries, it won’t matter who he is playing with what his role is.
He can overcome his second-year slump- the question is will he?
Arguments for breaking out- no injury, better defined role, no push to prove year 1 was no fluke, working with DS, as a defender, he can get minutes, versatility- can ply 2 and 3. and basic skill set.
Arguments for not breaking out- year 1 was the fluke, he is older, lost confidence,
Who knows. But I think he will be ok. Will get minutes if he commits to defense, then the minutes morph into shots and with DS the shots ought to be good ones. I vote yes.
If i’am right IMO Monty and the staff sees something in Duarte we might not. I’m sure they have done their homework. A lot of his second year as a pro I believe has to do with injuries and now he seems healthy. As with Murraytant I vote yes.
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