Former Kings first-round draft pick Tyrese Haliburton cashed in Friday night when he agreed to a five-year max contract extension with the Indiana Pacers that could be worth up to $260 million, his agents at CAA Sports confirmed to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.
And shortly after Wojnarowski reported news of the deal, Haliburton fired off a few celebratory tweets, including one that went viral.
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Haliburton shared a compilation video of evil laughs from iconic WWF personality "The Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase.
The reaction was fitting for a guy who just signed a max contract extension after being traded.
Haliburton was the Kings' prized No. 12 overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft and he appeared to be a cornerstone player for them. But in the middle of his second season, Sacramento decided that a change was necessary for both parties. Haliburton, De'Aaron Fox and then-rookie Davion Mitchell were struggling to find on-court chemisty.
So the Kings traded Haliburton, Buddy Hield and Tristian Thompson to the Pacers for Domantas Sabonis, Jeremy Lamb, Justin Holiday and a 2023 second-round draft pick.
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And while the blockbuster trade sent shockwaves through Sacramento, the deal has worked out for both sides.
In his first full season with the Kings, Sabonis helped the franchise end its 16-season NBA playoff drought and earned his third career All-Star selection. And he likely will be rewarded with his own contract extension in the near future, ensuring that he's a key cog in Sacramento for years to come.
As for Haliburton, the Pacers are building around him and the max contract solidifies that. Now the goal is to get Indiana back to the postseason.