Pacers have 'confidence' they can re-sign Pascal Siakam during offseason, per multiple reports
According to multiple reports, the Indiana Pacers have some belief that they can retain newly-acquired forward Pascal Siakam this summer in free agency.
The Pacers acquired Siakam, 29, in a trade with the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday. They sent Bruce Brown, Jordan Nwora, Kira Lewis, and three first-round draft picks to the Raptors to get it done.
Siakam will give Indiana an instant boost on both ends of the floor. He is a capable defender and talented offensive player, and he should fit very well into the Pacers style. His ability to complement Tyrese Haliburton will define how effective this trade can be for the Pacers, but on paper they are a terrific duo.
"We're incredibly excited to welcome Pascal to Indiana," Pacers President of Basketball Operations Kevin Pritchard said in a team-issued statement. "As a two-time All-NBA selection and two-time NBA All-Star, Pascal is a player that our organization has long admired and respected. We feel that his unique offensive skillset will complement our style of play, while his defensive versatility will be a valuable asset to our team."
Siakam is averaging 22.2 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 4.9 assists per game so far this season. He was an All-Star last year for the second time and is a two-time All-NBA selection. The Cameroon native is an excellent player at the four position.
An important part of this transaction is that Siakam's contract, which carries a cap hit of just under $38 million this season, expires after the 2023-24 campaign. While the Pacers could extend the forward on an agreement that is up to two-years, $80+ million, it makes much more sense for Siakam to wait until free agency and sign a longer contract then.
Because the 2016 first-round pick will likely be an unrestricted free agent in July, there is some risk involved for the Pacers that he could choose to sign elsewhere instead of remaining in Indiana. However, the franchise has said in the past that they believe Haliburton can have a recruiting impact — both in his ability to add and retain talent during free agency.
Because of that, the franchise is less paralyzed by the thought of free agents potentially leaving. And on Wednesday, multiple reports surfaced suggesting that the blue and gold have confidence as an organization that they will be able to keep Siakam around beyond the ongoing season.
"Pascal 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," Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reported on Wednesday.
Siakam will be eligible for a five-year deal with Indiana that could start at up to 30% of the salary cap next season. How long Siakam's next deal is could be just as important as the average annual value of his contract. The Pacers will have to think carefully about both factors while making sure that they do everything they can to retain the New Mexico State product.
"New Beginnings," Nwora tweeted late Wednesday night.
Later in the day, Wojnarowski had more to report about Siakam's future with the Pacers. "The confidence that Indiana has that they can re-sign Pascal Siakam to an extension this summer," he said on SportsCenter when talking about why the Pacers made the trade. "Siakam has talked through this process with Tyrese Haliburton. The Pacers knew how much he wanted to play in Indiana."
Wojnarowski added that Siakam is exactly what the blue and gold need. From a fit perspective, he's right on. That's why this storyline will be so vital up until free agency — Indiana has to make sure they don't trade away assets and then lose a valuable player for nothing.
Marc Spears of Andscape shared some thoughts that one of Siakam's agents, Todd Ramasar, had about the deal. "I'm excited that Pascal is getting a first class opportunity with the Pacers, being paired with Tyrese and Myles [Turner] and being coached by a great coach in Rick Carlisle. His future looks bright there."
Siakam's physical will be on Thursday, and the trade will become official if he and the other involved players pass. Then, the Pacers new star forward can suit up for the first time. Indiana is currently on a road trip and plays a back-to-back on Thursday and Friday night.
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