Sources: Pascal Siakam traded to Indiana Pacers
The Indiana Pacers have agreed to a trade that would lande them Toronto Raptors forward Pascal Siakam. The Athletic and ESPN have shared that Bruce Brown, Jordan Nwora, and three first round picks will be sent out by the Pacers earlier today. AllPacers can confirm.
In exchange, Indiana will receive Siakam and a second-round draft pick (2024, worst of Chicago and New Orleans) from New Orleans. That Pelicans pick comes as a result of Kira Lewis Jr being included in the trade and being re-routed from Indiana to Toronto.
Talks heated up in recent days and were very serious last night according to reports. Siakam, a two-time All-Star and two-time All-NBA forward, is heading to the Pacers and will pair well with star guard Tyrese Haliburton.
"I'm excited that Pascal is getting a first class opportunity with the Pacers, being paired with Tyrese [Haliburton] and Myles [Turner] and being coached by a great coach in Rick Carlisle. His future [there] looks bright," Todd Ramasar, one of Siakam's agents, told Marc Spears of Andscape.
Siakam, a 2019 NBA Champion, is averaging 22.2 points and 6.3 rebounds per game this season. He had a rough start from an efficiency perspective but has bounced back in a major way in the last few months. He is a premier talent at his position in the NBA.
Brown's contract has a team option for next season, and Nwora is on an expiring deal that cannot be extended. Outside of the draft picks, Indiana is not sending out any long-term assets in the trade.
The blue and gold will hope to re-sign Siakam in the offseason. He is a free agent come July 1. Adrian Wojnarowski reported that "Siakam is excited about the deal to the Pacers and expected to be eager to work out a new contract with the franchise this summer."
The picks being sent from Indiana to Toronto are a 2024 first-round pick protected 1-3, OKC's 2024 first-round selection (worst of Houston, Utah, Oklahoma City, and Los Angeles Clippers), and the Pacers 2026 first-round pick protected 1-4. For more on that, click here.
James Johnson will be waived by the Pacers to open up a roster spot for Lewis Jr, per source. The team hopes to re-sign him if he clears waivers. There will be plenty more to dissect from this deal as more details are revealed.
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