NBA Trade Rumors: Rick Carlisle "desperately" tried trading Jalen Brunson for Tyrese Haliburton with Mavs 

Pacers coach Rick Carlisle may have manifested uniting with Tyrese Haliburton at some point in their careers. That dream turned into a reality when the Pacers re-hired Carlisle for a second stint in 2021 after a four-year run between 2003 and 2007. The franchise shortly blew up its core and acquired Haliburton from the Kings.

A season before Carlisle and Haliburton's successful partnership began, the former Mavericks coach was "desperate" to land his star point guard in Dallas by trading up in the 2020 draft. Dallas had the 18th and the 31st pick, while Haliburton was selected 12th by the Sacramento Kings.

Here's what Carlisle said in 2023 about this trade (via Sports Illustrated):

"When the trade call was completed, you know, I really believed he was a special player when I was in Dallas, and in 2020 we desperately tried to move up to get him in the draft. We thought he was the best player in the draft and he ended up going 12 or 13 or something like that, and so I've always been a believer."

Meanwhile, ESPN's Tim MacMahon reported in 2022 that the Mavericks also included Haliburton's Eastern Conference finals counterpart, Jalen Brunson, in the deal. Brunson was the Mavericks' 33rd selection in the 2018 draft.

Five years since the Carlisle and the Mavericks' failed attempt to trade Jalen Brunson for Tyrese Haliburton, the story between the coach and the players has absorbed the spotlight in the playoffs as the Haliburton-led Pacers and Brunson-led Knicks locked horns for the East finals.

In hindsight, it could have been one of the fairest trades had the Mavericks found a deal.

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Tyrese Haliburton and Pacers script history in East finals Game 1 against Jalen Brunson's Knicks

The Pacers snatched a win from the jaws of defeat in Game 1 of the 2025 NBA playoffs Eastern Conference finals on Wednesday. Tyrese Haliburton and Co. won the contest 138-135 in overtime. The Pacers scripted history by becoming the first team to win a playoff game down 14 with 2:50 left in 971 attempts over the past 27 postseasons.

Four 3s from Aaron Nesmith and five clutch points from Tyrese Haliburton, including a game-tying shot with 0.2 seconds left to send the game to overtime, swung the momentum in Indiana's favor. Haliburton finished with 31 points and 11 assists, while his counterpart, Jalen Brunson, had 43 points and five assists.

The Pacers stole homecourt advantage from the Knicks with a composed offensive outing in overtime. New York will have a chance to level the series in Friday's contest at MSG.