Pascal Siakam was selected in the first round, No. 27 overall, in the 2016 NBA Draft by the Toronto Raptors. The Raptors were the only franchise he knew as a professional up until Wednesday afternoon when he was traded to the Indiana Pacers.
It was the third blockbuster trade of the NBA season and the second that involved the Raptors. Toronto sent OG Anunoby, Precious Achiuwa and Malachi Flynn to the New York Knicks before the New Year before the Siakam deal.
In exchange for Siakam, the Raptors were more focused on draft capital. They got back three first-round picks along with Bruce Brown and Jordan Nwora. Kira Lewis Jr. and a second-round pick were also acquired from the New Orleans Pelicans in the deal.
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Pascal Siakam, Myles Turner, Indiana Pacers Updates
Siakam has been involved in trade rumors for a while now. He was linked to several teams around the NBA, but it was the Pacers who ultimately won the sweepstakes. According to sources, this is where he was hoping to be traded the whole time.
There was hesitation from teams acquiring Siakam as he can become an unrestricted free agent this offseason. With the fear of him being only a rental, some teams didn’t make as aggressive of offers. The Pacers did and will be looking to make Indiana his permanent home, something Siakam would like.
How Siakam will fit alongside Myles Turner in the frontcourt is something people have already debated. Turner wasn’t a great fit alongside Domantas Sabonis, which led to the Pacers trading him to the Sacramento Kings as part of the blockbuster for Tyrese Haliburton.
But, Siakam doesn’t believe there will be any issues alongside Turner. In fact, Turner is someone Siakam has been wanting to play alongside. The only player in the NBA he wanted as a teammate more was Kevin Durant.
“During all those years in Toronto, Siakam would tell people close to him how Turner was the kind of stretch five who would work wonders for his game. After his dream scenario of the Raptors somehow landing Kevin Durant, league sources say, Turner was next up on his list of players with whom he would love to play,” wrote Sam Amick of The Athletic.
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Pascal Siakam, Myles Turner, Indiana Pacers Updates
That is some high regard that Turner has been held in by his new teammate. The potential is there for this to be a dynamic pairing in the frontcourt for the Pacers, as their skill sets mesh well on both ends of the court.
For a team that has struggled defensively as much as Indiana, adding a versatile defender such as Siakam will help. The rim-protecting prowess of Turner had not been enough this season, as the Pacers rank near the bottom of all defensive categories, which is partly because of the breakneck pace they play at.
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