The Pacers have finalized the trade for All-Star forward Pascal Siakam from the Raptors.

The Pacers have finalized the trade for All-Star forward Pascal Siakam from the Raptors.

The Pacers announced on Wednesday night that the Toronto Raptors as well as the Indiana Pacers have reached an agreement in which two-time All-Star Pascal Siakam will be traded to Indiana.

The Raptors will acquire three first-round picks in the blockbuster trade, which they finalized three weeks before the NBA trade deadline on February 8.

Two of the three first-round picks obtained from the Raptors will be involved in the 2024 NBA Draft: one will be allocated to Indiana, and the other will be an original Thunder pick that will enter the treasury as the lowest choice among the Jazz, Rockets, and Thunder.

According to The Athletic, Indiana is scheduled to receive the other first-round pick in 2026. The Athletic reports that the 2026 choice is protected in the top four. The trade also includes the Pelicans, who are the recipient of Kira Lewis Jr. from Toronto.

According to reports, several other teams, including the Dallas Mavericks and Golden State Warriors, considered acquiring Siakam.
It appears that the Sacramento Kings and the Toronto Raptors were at one time engaged in negotiations, but those discussions ultimately stalled.

According to reports, Sacramento had refused to include second-year forward Keegan Murray in any trade for Siakam.

With his summer appointment with free agency, Siakam possessed an exceptional advantage in these trade negotiations.

He could deter uninterested teams from approaching him by declining to discuss an extension.

With a record of 23-17 and the No. 6 seed within the Eastern Conference, Indiana was in an ideal position to acquire the noteworthy addition. This provided them with some leverage in these negotiations against the Raptors.

In addition to possessing an additional 2024 first-round pick from the Thunder and owning all of the first-round picks, the Pacers, who average 125.6 points per game, are in a position to generate maximum cap space this offseason.

This season, Siakam, age 29, has posted a per-game average of 22.2 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 4.9 assists.

The acquisition of Siakam will provide the team with first-round draft capital as well as a 27-year-old leader and formidable defender in Brown.

The Raptors have spent all eight of his NBA seasons, selecting him 27th initially in 2016.

Two-time All-Star and two-time All-NBA selection Siakam contributed to Toronto’s inaugural NBA championship in 2019.

The roster-building strategy of Indiana has been significantly altered due to the rise of Tyrese Haliburton as a legitimate MVP candidate, despite the team’s normal reluctance to pursue veteran talent aggressively.

The Pacers could soon be championship contenders with the implementation of the appropriate upgrades.

Siakam, 29 years old, joins a Pacers squad that has surged to prominence this season due to All-Star forward Tyrese Halliburton’s continued development.

This season, Siakam has averaged 22.2 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 4.9 assists on 31.7% shooting from 3-point range and 52.2% from the field.

Siakam, a two-time All-Star, will join Halliburton and the versatile two-way center Myles Turner as a member of the Indiana Pacers’ core if he maintains a long-term contract.

The acquisition of Siakam further indicates the rebuild in Toronto, which commenced in earnest with the December trade of O.G. Anunoby with the New York Knicks.

In exchange for Anunoby, the Raptors acquired Intermitent RJ Barrett, 24, Immanuel Quickley, and a second-round draft pick.

Last season, Brown was an indispensable member of the Denver Nuggets’ run to the NBA championship. A coveted free agent, he signed a contract with the Pacers worth $45 million over two seasons during the previous offseason.

Currently departing Indiana, he spent the previous 33 games playing for the Pacers. His absence will be sorely felt on a Pacers squad that dominates offensively but ranks 26th in defensive rating throughout the NBA.