Woj: Raptors trade Pascal Siakam to Pacers for Bruce Brown, Jordan Nwora, Kira Lewis and 3 first round picks

[DusterBuster]

So this is what Masai held onto OG and Pascal this long for huh?

[FarBeyondDriven]

solid for both clubs. Pacers get an upgrade at the 4 to try and make a deep playoff run that has alluded them for close to a decade. Raptors get a role player and three first round picks. BTW, weird how Masai, considered one of the best in the league, would accept a package centered around two 2024 first round draft picks. Didn't the experts say the 2024 draft class is weak? Weird that a guy who knows much more than them would be trying to acquire more picks in it.

[JustLucky]

I noticed similarity in play styles from the championship Raptors and this Pacers team if you squint hard enough …

Lowry - Haliburton (table setter)
kawhi - Mathurin (scorer)
Green - Neismith (3 and D)
Siakam
Gasol - Turner (floor spacing shot blocker)

Of course Haliburton > Lowry, Kawhi > Mathurin but this Pacers team can grow into Raptors-championship lite in time imo.

I wouldn't say 100% Halliburton > prime championship lowry show some respect. He will probably be one day but he aint there yet.

Their play styles are nothing alike same with most of those comparisons

[Uncle Jeff]

So this is what Masai held onto OG and Pascal this long for huh?

whats your problem dude

[ratul]

I’ve watched Pascal go off on Joel embiid and guard him like a fiend. Pascal will be missed. Good trade for Indy

[CodeBreaker]

So Indiana thinks Haliburton can be the main guy on a championship team? They need a third star, where are they getting him from?

Turner is their third star

[xxSnEaKyPxx]

So Indiana thinks Haliburton can be the main guy on a championship team? They need a third star, where are they getting him from?

Well, they have at least two options, but with those two options, come thousands of possibilities.

For one, they can hope Mathurin or Walker develop into that third guy(or even a shooter like Sheppard), but even if they don’t, if they both develop into being good players(even if a tad under great), you can still win with that.

Secondly, the Pacers kept all of their young talent. Mathurin, Walker, Nembhard, Sheppard, and Jackson. All our good prospects. 4 of them have already shown they can play at a high level, just about needing more opportunities/consistency. Essentially, the Pacers still have ways to make a big trade if the right player becomes available.

[Nuntius]

In theory, I like this trade for Pacers. Not sure how they're going to improve their defense but they now have a lot of dudes.

Been 15th or so since taking Buddy and Toppin out of the starting lineup.

But Siakam will help the defense. Last game we literally had Andrew Nembhard (6'5) guarding Lauri Markkanen. Defending big forwards has been the major issue defensively. We didn't have guys tall enough, or quick enough. We had to pick one and roll with the disadvantage. Siakam is at least both, even if he isn't an All Defense guy, he HAS to be an improvement on what we've been doing.

It's been Nesmith, Nembhard, and Jalen Smith guarding big forwards. Nesmith being able to guard 1-3 now will also be a big improvement.

Guarding big forwards isn't Siakam's strength. Raptors have always had one of Kawhi, OG, or Scottie for that. Pascal is really good, when motivated, as a help defender covering ground and contesting shots on the perimeter, but not so good inside.

It may not be his strength but our other options are all 6'5.

[Nuntius]

So Indiana thinks Haliburton can be the main guy on a championship team?

Yes, absolutely. We think that Haliburton can be a top 5-10 player. And he kinda has been that guy so far this season.

[Nuntius]

Maybe his motivation has been an issue, but he's been a brutallllllll defender this year. 10 blocks total as a 6"9 guy with a 7"3 wingspan. Doesn't really contest shots inside.

Isn't strong enough to be a solid post defender, has pretty slow foot speed for the perimeter and gets beat easily. Gets lost easily with offball defence and can't close out well when helping.

The fact he's only guarded a good player when there's no other choice says everything. IE Harris because Embiid is too big, Kuzma, which are his 2 notable matchups on the season.

He's a great scorer with a solid midrange pullup game, his shooting has finally been great in the last month, but like I said unless it was a motivation thing, he's been pretty ass on defence. Even 20 years ago without the 3ball era Duncan, Garnett, Wallace and Dirk would have absolutely wrecked him.

But Indiana will have a pretty deadly offence.

Siakam is not a shot-blocker, never has been. But when he is motivated, he plays great defense. And he's usually pretty motivated, but this was a contract year for him, he was more motivated to put up numbers.

He was good with one of the greatest C defenders in Gasol behind him

And the Pacers do have Myles Turner who, despite not being Marc Gasol, is a pretty good rim protector in his own right.

[Nuntius]

Yeah, but you also started Bruce Brown, who averaged one rebound less than Siakam per 36. Toppin is almost averaging as many rebounds as Siakam this season per 36. So just temper your expectations there. Siakam's strengths lie elsewhere.

It's like you guys are applying your own assumed tone to my responses and not actually reading them.

I said he has to just "not be pathetic" ..... how much more tempered can my expectations be?

Well that's what I'm trying to tell you... if you were pathetic at rebounding before, you're probably still going to be pathetic at rebounding now. Don't expect to "not be pathetic".

Maybe Siakam goes back to averaging 8 boards, who knows.

xBulletproof was responding to one of your posts that said that our rebounding would suffer due to Siakam's insertion into the lineup (that post also said that Siakam will help our defense plenty which I do agree with). What xBulletproof said about our rebounding is 100% correct.

We started the season with Obi Toppin as the starting PF. In the 28 games that Obi started, he averaged 3.8 RPG in 23.9 MPG. Yes, less than 4 boards.

That's the benchmark that Siakam has to clear for our rebounding to improve. 3.8 RPG in 23.9 MPG. If we extrapolate this to a per 36 number, it's 5.7 RPG per 36.

Siakam, this season, is averaging 6.3 RPG in 34.7 MPG. Is this a great number? No, it isn't. Does it clear the benchmark set by Toppin? Yes, it absolutely does.

Siakam won't make the Pacers a good rebounding team. We will still be a fairly poor rebounding team overall because what matters these days is for all of your players to be above average rebounders for their size/position and, well, the Pacers do not really have even one of those guys. Siakam doesn't change that.

But he would help in this department more than Toppin did as a starter (now, Toppin has been a good rebounder off the bench but that's a different conversation).

[Los_29]

So Indiana thinks Haliburton can be the main guy on a championship team?

Yes, absolutely. We think that Haliburton can be a top 5-10 player. And he kinda has been that guy so far this season.

Remains to be seen if he can do that in the playoffs. I really like the look of their team now though. I think Pascal is a great fit. East is going to be competitive this year.

[Wargreymon]

So this is what Masai held onto OG and Pascal this long for huh?

[Mister Ze]

solid for both clubs. Pacers get an upgrade at the 4 to try and make a deep playoff run that has alluded them for close to a decade. Raptors get a role player and three first round picks. BTW, weird how Masai, considered one of the best in the league, would accept a package centered around two 2024 first round draft picks. Didn't the experts say the 2024 draft class is weak? Weird that a guy who knows much more than them would be trying to acquire more picks in it.

Masai was a former scout so maybe he sees something. At the same time he traded Torontos 2024 pick last year so it could just be the hand he was dealt.

[Knicks365247]

I got the Pacers 160-1 to title earlier this season. They are now going All The Way with Siakam!

I’m not even gonna hedge the Finals!

[Nuntius]

So Indiana thinks Haliburton can be the main guy on a championship team?

Yes, absolutely. We think that Haliburton can be a top 5-10 player. And he kinda has been that guy so far this season.

Remains to be seen if he can do that in the playoffs. I really like the look of their team now though. I think Pascal is a great fit. East is going to be competitive this year.

It absolutely remains to be seen if he can do it in the playoffs. But it is important to note that the team absolutely believes in Haliburton being that main guy. This is the first time in a long, long time where the Pacers have made this kind of all-in trade. We didn't do such a trade when we had Sabonis + Oladipo. We didn't do such a trade when we had Paul George. But we did do this trade now that we have Hali. That is a pretty sign that we have absolute faith in Hali.

[Rustyman]

Good deal for both teams. Anyone from the raptors expecting 3 lottery picks at this late stage of the season is/was delusional.

[Froob]

Raptors - A-

Pacers - C+

I don't love the fit for Siakam here. I'd want him to be my center (or perhaps centre), not sure I love the fit next to Turner. Idk man, I'm not sure this makes the most sense for Haliburton team, can he run n gun with them?

[whitehops]

i think this trade will help the pacers in the playoffs a lot. like the lakers showed in the IST final if you game plan to bottle up haliburton then the offense really bogs down. with siakam that's a less viable strategy because he's capable of creating his own offense (and for others) at a pretty good clip. he also gives them an iso mid range option which is more important in the playoffs in late-clock situations.

if they can re-sign him then i love the trade for indiana.

[ROballer]

Pacers are not done.

They have a bigman logjam and barely any depth on the wings with Brown gone.

They have an albatross expiring in Hield which will go to waste, it's already known they couldn't agree on the money for an extension so Hield will bolt in the summer if he's not traded now.

And they still have enticing young pieces on top of that.


I'd expect at least a stopgap option(Bojan) if not somebody younger who they can keep beyond this season.

But they're 100% doing another trade. Toppin/Walker/Smith/I.Jackson. All have value, some more than the others.
3 out of the 4 will probably be DNP CD's on most nights when they get the full lineup.

Meanwhile they have Nesmith as a regular wing. That's it.