Pascal Siakam is no longer a Toronto Raptors player. He ended his long tenure with the Toronto-based franchise as he was traded to the Indiana Pacers. A source revealed that the deal includes Pascal Siakam joining the Indiana Pacers in exchange for three future first-round draft picks and guards Bruce Brown and Jordan Nwora.
Siakam was one of the most important players for the Raptors. He was a key figure in Raptor’s journey to the NBA title in 2019, he averaged 16.9 points per game, 6.9 rebounds, and 3.1 assists in the 80 games he played for the Toronto Raptors in the 2019 NBA season. in the 2019 finals, Pascal Siakam averaged 19.8 points, 7.5 rebounds and 3.7 assists against the Golden State Warriors.
Pascal Siakam is expected to debut for the Pacers tomorrow in Portland, sources tell @andscape. https://t.co/ko57n9CwIZ
— Marc J. Spears (@MarcJSpears) January 19, 2024
Pascal Siakam trade is just the start of a bigger plan
The Raptors fans adore Siakam and will always respect him after everything he has done for the team, but the Raptors are looking to change their approach and get on with a different vision for the future. Toronto Raptors Are looking to build their team around the young star Scottie Barnes, this was an indication that the era of Pascal Siakam in Toronto is coming to an end. Masai Ujiri, the general manager of the Toronto Raptors opened up on the trade and how he apologized to Pascal Sikam for not opening up to him as much as he would have wanted to
“I think the lines of communication in the summer were not that great,” Ujiri said. “…I apologized to him before the season started, and I apologized to him again recently.”
Many Basketball Pundits believe that the Indiana Pacers will be a team to look out for this season, including Charles Barkley. With Tyrese Haliburton set to return and Siakam Joining them, the Pacers will look to go all the way. The Pacers are currently the best offensive team in the league this season with a net rating of 121.6. Pascal Siakam coming into the team is an attempt to improve their sole weak point which is their defense.
Barkley Labelled the Pascal Siakam trade as a “great move” for the Pacers
“Well, he was the second-best player when they won the championship [with the Toronto Raptors],” Barkley said. “Go look at the numbers. This ain’t a good trade for the Pacers, it’s a great trade.”I love what they’re doing in Indiana… his numbers are only going to get better cause he playing with better players.”
"This ain't a good trade for the Pacers, it's a great trade." 👀
Chuck's reaction to Indiana's trade for Pascal Siakam pic.twitter.com/JoeGRzqIMB
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) January 19, 2024
The Pacers fans are excited about Siakam joining their teams along with defending he is a threat in the offense too. The Indiana Pacers are currently 7th in the Eastern Conference and will be looking up to their Cameroonian Star to take them all the way.
