Stephen A. Smith Says He Pressed One Team to Select Tyrese Haliburton in the Draft.

Tyrese Haliburton and the Indiana Pacers faced off against the Boston Celtics on Monday night in the In-Season Tournament, which provided a national platform for the team to compete for the NBA Cup in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Haliburton led the Pacers to victory in front of their home crowd, despite the fact that they were underdogs against a team that many consider to be the best in the NBA right now. As a result, the team will move on to the next round and take on the winner of Tuesday night’s game between the Milwaukee Bucks and New York Knicks.

Haliburton is currently recognized as a rising star and the new face of the Pacers organization because he has left a significant enough impression on NBA fans and his colleagues throughout the league.

Though ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith claims he did his best to steer the team toward him during the NBA Draft a few years ago, the Knicks weren’t convinced he was the right man to bring in, according to ClutchPoints.

Haliburton went No. 12 overall to the Sacramento Kings to be De’Aaron Fox’s backcourt partner, so it probably stings for a number of teams in the league that passed him up in the 2020 NBA Draft.

In the event of a redraft, Haliburton would almost definitely be selected by the Golden State Warriors at the second overall spot, following the Minnesota Timberwolves’ selection of Anthony Edwards at the first pick.

LaMelo Ball, who has been excellent but has struggled to stay healthy, would probably go No. 3 overall to the Charlotte Hornets in favor of Tyrese Maxey of the Philadelphia 76ers.

There are some stars in Edwards, Haliburton, Maxey, and Ball, but the rest of the draft is full of role players and prospects who never quite worked out.