The Indiana Pacers have agreed to deal with the Toronto Raptors to acquire two-time All Star and two-time All-NBA selection Pascal Siakam.
Here is a breakdown of the assets the Pacers gave up to land Siakam.
Raptors receive:
- Bruce Brown (via Pacers)
- Kira Lewis (via Pelicans)
- Jordan Nwora (via Pacers)
- Two 2024 first-round picks (via Pacers)
- Conditional 2026 first-round pick (via Pacers)
Pacers receive:
- Pascal Siakam (via Raptors)
- Future second-round pick (via Pelicans)
As disappointed as I am to see Bruce Brown go, the addition of Siakam can’t be understated. He addresses multiple needs this Pacers team has.
Trading away potentially three first round picks isn’t a big deal. This Pacers team has multiple young players. They don’t have enough roster spots to use all of their picks over the next few seasons, and Siakam addresses the needs the Pacers would’ve been looking to draft.
Defense and scoring ability on the wing was a glaring weakness for this Pacers team. Siakam addresses both of those needs.
Pascal Siakam’s offensive presence
On the offensive side of the ball, the 29-year-old has averaged more than 20 points in five of his eight NBA seasons. He’s capable of scoring from all three levels, and he should take some of the pressure off of Tyrese Haliburton with his ability to initiate the offense.
Siakam got off to a rough start shooting the ball this season. From the start of the season through the end of December Siakam was 30/115 from three-point range. That equates to an abysmal 26%.
Over his last seven games, which isn’t a huge sample size, he’s shooting 53% from deep. I don’t expect him to stay this hot shooting the ball the rest of the year, but if he can stay around 38%, he’ll fit into this offense perfectly.
Pascal Siakam’s defensive presence
The Pacers don’t need any help on the offensive end. They lead the NBA in offensive rating (points per 100 possessions) at 121.6. They need help on defense where they’re 27th in defensive rating at 119.5.
Siakam provides a lengthy defender who’s capable of defending large wings. The Pacers haven’t had that all year.
Siakam played a major role on both sides of the ball when he won an NBA Championship with the Raptors in 2019. Because he was playing alongside Kawhi Leonard he wasn’t the primary option on offense, and he didn’t defend the opposition’s best player.
However, he was the second option offensively and he often defended the second-best player at a high level. In the NBA, it’s impossible to guard anyone, but Siakam has the tools and has shown the ability throughout his career to make life difficult on the NBA’s great offensive players.
New expectations
As of today, the Pacers have the seventh seed in the Eastern Conference. With the addition of Siakam, they definitely improved the roster, but this doesn’t make them title contenders.
They aren’t better than the Boston Celtics, Milwaukee Bucks, or Philadelphia 76ers. This trade puts them firmly in the second tier of the Eastern Conference. They’re on the same tier as the Miami Heat, Cleveland Cavaliers, and New York Knicks.
That means they should be a top six seed in the East and could potentially host a first round playoff series. That’s the new expectation. If they grab the four or five seed, I have no reason to not believe they won’t advance past the first round of the playoffs.
The ceiling has been raised for the Pacers with this trade. They’ve gone from a play-in team to a bonafide playoff team.
