Chris Duarte speaks on Kings-Pacers trade for first time: ‘Can’t wait to light the beam’

Chris Duarte said he was surprised when he found out the Indiana Pacers were trading him, but he is embracing the opportunity for a fresh start with the Kings.

“I can’t wait to light the beam,” he said.

Duarte has met several of his new teammates over the past couple of days at the Las Vegas Summer League. He was introduced to members of the Sacramento media Saturday in a third-floor conference room at the Waldorf Astoria hotel, where he discussed his reaction to the trade and his relationship with Kings center Domantas Sabonis.

“I’m just excited for this new journey,” he said. “Looking forward to working with the team. Great organization. Great fan base. Getting back together with Domas. I’m just excited overall.”

The Kings finalized the trade Thursday, bringing Duarte to Sacramento in exchange for two future draft picks. The Pacers will receive a second-round pick in 2028 (via Dallas) along with Sacramento’s second-round pick in 2030.

The trade reunites Duarte and Sabonis, who came to Sacramento in a blockbuster deal involving Tyrese Haliburton in February 2022.

Duarte and Sabonis got to know each other well during their time together in Indiana. Duarte was raised in the Dominican Republic and Sabonis speaks Spanish fluently, so they connected right away when the Pacers selected Duarte out of Oregon with the 13^th pick in the 2021 NBA draft.

“Domas took me under his wing since Day 1 when I got to Indiana,” Duarte said. “He just walked me through, ‘Hey, CD, this is what it’s like to be in the NBA. Make sure you do this. Make sure you do that.’ So, I really appreciate him. Great dude. Great person. I met his family. I could sit here and talk about him for hours. We have a good relationship.”

They also have a good feel for each other in the dribble-handoff game the Kings like to run with Sabonis.

“We just have a good chemistry, a good connection,” Duarte said. “We both speak Spanish, so that always helps. We have a good connection on the court. I just know how to play with him.”

Duarte also knows how to play defense. He has a reputation as a versatile defender with good instincts.

“Something I learned at Oregon was that defenses always travels,” Duarte said. “Not every night are you going to shoot the ball well, so you’ve got to bring something else to the table. You’ve got to impact the game in a different way.”

Duarte, 26, was an NBA All-Rookie Second Team selection in 2022 after averaging 13.1 points, 4.1 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.0 steals. A recurring left ankle injury sidelined him for much of the 2022-23 season as his numbers declined and his 3-point shooting dropped from 36.9% to 31.6%.

“I was always like up and down,” Duarte said. “Came back too soon, trying to help the team, trying to play, but that’s just who I am. I’m competitive, so if I feel like I can go out there and play, I’m going to do that even though I don’t feel 100%.”

Duarte said the ankle is fully healed now.

“I’m great,” he said. “I’m 100%.”

Duarte knew a trade was a possibility, but he wasn’t expecting it.

“I was surprised,” Duarte said. “I was at home with the family when I received a call. This is how the business works. I guess I go wherever God takes me and I’m really excited about this new opportunity for me. This is a great team, great franchise, great fan base. I’ve seen videos of how loud the fans get, so I love that.”