Reports: Indiana Pacers are expected to have interest in OG Anunoby and Pascal Siakam
According to multiple reports in recent weeks, the Indiana Pacers are expected to have interest in Toronto Raptors forwards OG Anunoby and Pascal Siakam should they be made available for trade this season.
The Pacers interest in Siakam has been reported since the offseason. Anunoby, meanwhile, has long made sense as a target for the blue and gold. His defense, shooting, age, and ties to the state make him a fantastic talent for Indiana to acquire should they be able to.
Shams Charania of The Athletic reported on the Raptors approach to team building recently. "Teams such as the Atlanta Hawks, Sacramento Kings and Indiana Pacers are expected suitors for Siakam or Anunoby but believe Siakam appears to be the likelier player to be dealt, league sources tell The Athletic," Charania shared. Anunoby is 26-years old while Siakam is 29.
Siakam's contract will expire after the ongoing season. If the Raptors aren't winning much, it would make sense for them to think about trades — especially if they don't believe they can re-sign the two-time All-Star. Anunoby has a player option for the 2024-25 season but is widely expected to decline it and become a free agent in the summer.
The fact that both forwards could be free to sign with whatever they team they please come July 1 will lower their trade value. Teams may view them as a rental unless they feel as if they could sign Anunoby or Siakam to a contract extension. Indiana's salary cap space could be valuable in that way.
Many expect the Pacers to pursue a two-way wing on the trade market, and both Toronto players fit that profile. Both HoopsHype and Yahoo Sports have connected the blue and gold to Siakam in recent weeks.
The Pacers would have to send out at least ~$10.5 million in salary to acquire Anunoby and a minimum of ~$29.7 million to bring in Siakam. Indiana currently has cap space and could in the summer, but their salary cap direction will depend on moves made in the next few months.
Indiana is in desperate need of size, and both Raptors players would help fill a void. Toronto is currently 10-15 and has to think about the direction of their team, especially after losing Fred VanVleet and Kawhi Leonard for nothing in free agency during the last half decade. Kyle Lowry departed for Toronto in a sign-and-trade, but consistently losing talent for little return is substandard roster management. Of course, the Raptors won a championship in 2019, and that makes it all worth it.
The 2024 NBA trade deadline is February 8.
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