Reports say that the Pacers and Raptors are about to make a huge deal for Pascal Siakam.
Even though it’s still a few weeks until the NBA trade deadline on February 8, the Toronto Raptors have already started making changes to their team.
The Raptors are apparently about to send Pascal Siakam to the Indiana Pacers. This comes just over two weeks after they sent O.G. Anunoby to the New York Knicks.
As per Charania and Amick, Bruce Brown Jr. will probably be the main salary filler going to the Pacers. However, Indiana would likely still need to add around eight million dollars in salary to make this move legal.
Charania also said that the possible deal Indiana would send back includes Bruce Brown Jr., all three first-round draft picks, and some extra pay fillers.
The story mentioned that Toronto and Indiana have made several offers back and forth and are now well advanced in the process.
To pay for Siakam’s deal, Indiana would have to send an extra $8.2 million in wages. This means that players like Obi Toppin, Jalen Smith, and Isaiah Jackson could be going to Toronto.
The Kings and Warriors are also said to be interested in the soon-to-be 30-year-old forward, along with Indiana. Siakam, on the other hand, is said to not see the throne as an overtime fit.
Siakam has been an NBA All-Star twice, and this season is the last year of his deal. He will make $38 million. Whichever team deals for him might lose him to another team in the off-season.
This season, Toronto already had a good player when they sent OG Anunoby to the New York Knicks in exchange for R.J. Barrett or Immanuel Quickley. Charania said that the Dallas Mavericks could also be interested.
In Darko Rajakovic’s first season as head coach, the Raptors are currently 15-25. Indiana, on the other hand, is 23-17 thanks to Tyrese Haliburton’s great season.
There was no stopping Embiid, as he led the 76ers to a 126–121 win over the NBA champion Denver Nuggets. Even though Jokić played great, Embiid had the best night. He scored 41 points, had 10 assists, and grabbed seven boards.
With 7:30 left in the game, Denver was ahead 111–110, and both players came back in. With the score tied at 113-113, Embiid scored 10 consecutive points, propelling Philadelphia to a 123-113 lead that Denver could not overcome.
He scored inside, outside, and at the boundary during the run. With 4:53 left, a 3-pointer over Jokić made the score 121–113 in favor of Philadelphia.
When they get back to Denver, what is their first game? A second game against the Philadelphia Eagles on January 27.
At the very end, the Nuggets shaved the lead to 125–121 with three free throws from Michael Porter Jr. after Embiid hit him on a 3-point try. Philly held on to win, though, as Denver didn’t score again.
Even though Jokić had 25 points, 19 rebounds, and three assists, it wasn’t enough for the Nuggets in their first game during a five-game road trip along the East Coast.
The game showed off the league’s two best centers and, maybe even, its two best players ever. Together, they have won three league-best player awards. In 2021 and 2022, Jokić won the award in back-to-back seasons.
The first MVP award went to Embiid in 2023, beating out Jokić, who came in second. In response, Jokić won the Finals MVP award and his first NBA title.
Sources told Shams Charania of The Athletic on Tuesday that the Raptors and Pacers are talking about a huge move that would transfer Siakam to Indiana.
Charania also said that the possible deal Indiana would send back includes Bruce Brown Jr., three first-round draft picks, and some extra pay fillers.
It was said in the story that Toronto and Indiana are “far along within the process” after making several offers back and forth.