Back in the 2020 NBA Draft, there was much speculation about Tyrese Haliburton’s fate. The Phoenix Suns, holding the 10th overall pick, decided to pass on the player. In a recent interview with Arizona Sports during the Team USA minicamp, Haliburton confirmed that he was open to starting his career with the Phoenix Suns.
“I was open to going anywhere that wasn’t those two teams. And any team that didn’t pick me, I don’t know,” Haliburton said.
Then-Suns head coach Monty Williams once mentioned that they had an interest in Haliburton and that he was even on their board. However, Haliburton denied this claim and revealed that there were indeed two teams he did not want to be picked by at the time—the Atlanta Hawks and Cleveland Cavaliers.
“The truth is, if I told one or two teams not to draft me, it was Atlanta and it was Cleveland,” Haliburton said in 2022.
After being passed over by several teams, Haliburton didn’t have to wait long before the Sacramento Kings picked him with the 12th overall selection. In February 2022, he was traded to the Indiana Pacers for Domantas Sabonis.
Tyrese Haliburton Shares Excitement Ahead of the Paris 2024 Olympics
After naming his name on the Pacers roster, Tyrese Haliburton proved the teams wrong by passing on him. The Iowa State point guard is now on the international stage to represent his country at the Paris 2024 Olympics with eleven more NBA veterans.
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For Haliburton, it’s a huge opportunity after ending the last season on a sour note and being swept by the Boston Celtics.
“It’s a lot of fun for us to come together as top guys in the NBA and share the floor together,” Haliburton said.
