Pascal Siakam Trade Grades
Image by AP Images
Well, it’s been talked about for a while now, but Pascal Siakam has finally been traded. The three-team trade between the Indiana Pacers, Toronto Raptors, and New Orleans Pelicans is as follows:
Pacers receive: Pascal Siakam, 2024 second-round pick (via Pelicans)
Raptors receive: Bruce Brown, Jordan Nwora, Kira Lewis Jr., 2024 first-round pick (via Pacers), 2024 first-round pick (lesser of picks from Jazz/Clippers/Rockets/Thunder), and 2026 first-round pick (via Pacers, protected 1-4)
Pelicans receive: Cash considerations
Indiana Pacers: A-
Looking at the Pacers’ needs and their scheme, this move makes a lot of sense. This summer, the New York Knicks traded forward Obi Toppin to the Indiana Pacers for two second-round picks. The explosive forward was eased into starter minutes early in the season and played very well in the Pacers’ In-Season Tournament, where they lost in the Finals to the Los Angeles Lakers. However, since then the Pacers have seen an inconsistent product on the floor at times. Toppin can still be a very valuable bench asset, but adding someone like Pascal Siakam is an opportunity that not many can pass up.
The Pacers have also lacked depth at the forward position this season. Pacers’ Aaron Nesmith, Bennedict Mathurin, and Buddy Hield have played more than half of the Pacers’ minutes at forward this season. Well, that’s not great as all of those players are 6’5 or below. Because of this, they are the second-worst rebounding team in the NBA; not a great recipe for success.
Siakam fixes this issue with his 6.3 rebounds per game (RPG). To pair with this, Siakam provides 22.2 points per game (PPG) and 4.9 assists per game (APG). He should fit in perfectly with Pacers’ guard Tyrese Haliburton, who currently is leading the NBA in APG with a jaw-dropping 12.5 APG. Haliburton and the Pacers receive a proven second scoring option in Siakam that they have not had in a while, as for the last couple of years they have relied heavily on center Myles Turner as their second option. Turner’s 17.2 PPG will be a great third-scoring option for the Pacers and should give him more easy looks as the defense focuses more on Siakam’s dangerous scoring abilities.
The Pacers are rolling the dice with this trade, as they will have no draft picks in the 2024 or 2026 draft, leaving them with one first-round pick (2025 unprotected) over the next two years. With the Pacers being one of the youngest teams in the NBA, not having picks will put them in an interesting position when attempting to build a championship roster around the new core of Haliburton, Siakam, and Turner.
And then there is whether Siakam will re-sign. Siakam is scheduled to be an unrestricted free agent this off-season if he chooses to go down that path. However, reports coming after the trade state that Siakam is very happy in Indianapolis, and the Pacers are “very confident” they can re-sign him this off-season. With the help of Haliburton’s recruiting, there is a very high likelihood.
Toronto Raptors: B
Image by Peter Sampson
The city of Toronto will never forget all that Siakam gave to them. Whether it was the 2019 NBA Championship or his All-NBA Second-team selection, Siakam poured his heart and soul out for the Raptors’ organization and the city of Toronto.
But now, Toronto has transitioned into a full rebuild. They have already emphasized youth with their Dec 30th trade which sent forward OG Anunoby, forward Precious Achiuwa, and guard Malachi Flynn to the New York Knicks in exchange for forward RJ Barrett, guard Immanuel Quickley, and a second-round pick. This is perfect to start a rebuild as 23-year-old Barett and 24-year-old Quickley have seen a considerable jump in their scoring since joining the Raptors.
Given the nature of Siakam’s contract, it makes sense why the Raptors did not receive a massive rebuild starter pack from the Pacers. However, the reason this trade gets a B grade is because of the pick potential. The Pacers were projected to be a playoff-contending team before this trade and realistically are now a legit playoff-contending team with the addition of Siakam. This leaves the Raptors in a difficult position as the pick most likely will not be great. Also, the heavy protections put on the other first-round pick leave Toronto with two picks in the later half of the draft. Either way, Toronto should look to flip the draft capital acquired from both of these trades into either a better pick this year or future draft capital.
Another consideration is Bruce Brown. Brown will make $22 million this year with a team option the Raptors can accept or decline in the off-season. They most likely will decline as this is a steep price for someone who simply doesn’t have the numbers to support them. Just all in all a questionable decision by the Raptors to acquire Brown given they are now rebuilding and Brown is already 27 years old.
New Orleans Pelicans: B
Image by Crescent City Sports
Kind of forget they were in this trade? Well, there’s not much to talk about here as this was simply a salary move. The New Orleans Pelicans had a conditional second-round pick available if they were to stay under the luxury tax line after this season. They sat at $3 million above that line until now just dumping Kira Lewis Jr.’s $5.7 million contract without affecting their main core. Good move by the Pelicans.
