The Sacramento Kings drafted Tyrese Haliburton 12th-overall in the 2020 NBA Draft, pairing him with star point guard De’Aaron Fox to create their backcourt of the future.

After just 109 games in Sacramento, the Kings shipped Haliburton off to the Indiana Pacers, in exchange for All-Star big man Domantas Sabonis. Both franchises have seen success with their new stars, as Haliburton has become a two-time All-Star and led the Pacers to the Eastern Conference Finals last season, while Sabonis has made the All-NBA Third Team twice and cemented himself as one of the NBA’s top centers.

Fox and Haliburton in the same backcourt was a short-lived experiment, but the blockbuster to acquire Sabonis is noted as one of the most even trades in recent NBA memory.

Fox has exploded as one of the NBA’s top point guards but is often compared to his former teammate. 18 games into the 2024-25 season, Fox has taken his game to another level, leaving the Haliburton comparisons in the dust.

Former NBA point guard and media personality Jeff Teague recently dropped his take on the battle between Fox and Haliburton, claiming that the Kings star is a level ahead of his former teammate (via Club 520 Podcast).

“Y’all know I’m a De’Aaron Fox fan. He’s better than Tyrese Haliburton,” Teague said. “I mean, I always thought De’Aaron Fox was better. I thought he had – a lot more people were like, ‘Tyrese better than De’Aaron Fox.’ I’m like, ‘I think De’Aaron got a different gear.’ He can take over games differently than Tyrese Haliburton can. I feel really comfortable with De’Aaron Fox with the ball in his hands in the fourth quarter.”

Teague addressed how the 2022 blockbuster trade was even for both sides and clarified that both Fox and Haliburton are exceptional players, but he did not shy away from revealing his preference between the two star point guards.

Fox is having an unbelievable 2024-25 season, averaging 28.1 points, 5.7 assists, and 1.7 steals per game. Haliburton has been off to a rocky start, averaging just 16.8 points and 8.8 assists per contest, his worst statistical season since arriving in Indiana.

Fox is certainly having a better year than Haliburton, but fans have to expect the Pacers star to find his rhythm and get back on track at some point. Both point guards have strived since the trade, but Fox still needs some postseason success to truly ascend ahead of Haliburton.

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