The Indiana Pacers have been one of the pleasant surprises in the NBA this season. They have shown the capability of hanging with some of the upper-echelon teams in the Eastern Conference, advancing to the championship of the NBA In-Season Tournament.
On the heels of an offense that is on pace to shatter records, the Pacers can keep up on that end of the court with any team in the league. However, their defense leaves a lot to be desired. If they want to remain a legitimate playoff contender, they need to fix that.
They should see improvements on that end of the court instantly after acquiring Pascal Siakam from the Toronto Raptors. Indiana sent three first-round picks, Bruce Brown and Jordan Nwora to Toronto in exchange for the multi-time All-Star and All-NBA performer.
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Pascal Siakam, OG Anunoby, Indiana Pacers Updates
Siakam gives Indiana a high-upside pairing with Tyrese Haliburton offensively and a versatile defender to help turn things around on that end of the court. While Siakam is a nice upgrade for the team, he wasn’t the only Raptor that the Pacers were attempting to acquire.
According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, Indiana was also in on OG Anunoby. They were attempting to acquire both players in one trade but were unable to meet the asking price the Raptors set.
Acquiring Anunoby and Siakam would have certainly turned the team’s fortunes around on defense. Both are strong defenders, with Anunoby being an All-Defensive Team member and an elite two-way player.
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Pascal Siakam, OG Anunoby, Indiana Pacers Updates
Anunoby was eventually traded to the New York Knicks in exchange for Immanuel Quickley, RJ Barrett and a second-round pick via the Detriot Pistons. Given what the Knicks paid, it would have likely cost Indiana Benedict Mathurin or Jarace Walker to land Anunoby, in addition to necessary salary filler.
While their pursuit of both players was unsuccessful, the Pacers stayed focused on Siakam and were able to get a deal done. A big reason Indiana pulled the trigger on the blockbuster deal was that they are confident they can retain Siakam on a long-term deal. Able to hit unrestricted free agency this offseason, teams shied away from making a trade with the Raptors for fear of him being a rental.
Want the latest NBA analysis, breaking news, and insider information? Click Here. Follow NBA Analysis Network on Twitter and Facebook.
Interested in reading the latest storylines and analysis in the NFL? Check out our partner NFL Analysis Network.
