Does the Pascal Siakam Trade Put Jarace Walker’s Pacers Future in Jeopardy?
Jarace Walker’s Pacer career is off to a slow start.
There’s no sugarcoating it. With the way the team has performed (well above expectations), and the logjam of minutes already at his position, the team simply hasn’t had need for a still-developing, 20-year-old frosh.
And that was fine. Walker was able to get work in the G League, averaging 24.4 points, 4.6 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 1.6 steals and blocks apiece while working on much-needed skills like self-creation, facilitation and perimeter shooting.
But now, there’s a new wrinkle.
On Thursday, the Pacers knocked down the first big trade domino, sending Bruce Brown and three first round picks in exchange for Raptors forward Pascal Siakam.
At 6-foot-8, the former two-time All-Star and NBA champion fills the slot that a fully realized Walker likely would. And even more, Siakam is reportedly “eager” to get a longterm extension done with the Pacers, likely locking him into the core with Tyrese Haliburton for the foreseeable future.
So, is Walkers' Pacers future in jeopardy? Or in the least, going to look drastically different?
The answer is, unequivocally, no.
Spending the No. 8 pick on Walker was always a versatility play for Indiana. The former Houston product stands at 6-foot-8 himself, boasting a 7-foot-2 wingspan, allowing him to size up to the four and even five with relative ease.
He can post up, cut, is a threat from the perimeter and is currently working on his handling in available minutes. And that’s without covering his selling point: stingy defense, which is going to make him a longterm NBA player, regardless of position, role, etc.
Suffice to say, Walker should remain a large part of the Pacers future. Potentially even more, with their prospective contention in the next few years.
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