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

[PushDaRock]

I wouldn't be too shocked to see him put up some eye popping numbers on extreme efficiency. He was already really efficient in the new offensive Raptors system,

"Really efficient" is pushing it. He's been a +1.9% rTS guy this year, which is just a lot better than the dud efficiency he'd been dropping for the past couple of seasons. It's solid, but not what you want out of a primary volume scorer.

the Pacers will be that on steroids. He also doesn't even need to worry about D at all anymore. The question will more so be how it translates over to the playoffs.

This, I agree with. The Pacers play specifically into Siakam's strengths on O, and that's going to work out nicely for them, I think. He might well be more like a +4% rTS guy for them due to all the passing support and spacing.

I mean he's been more efficient than guys like Brunson, Mitchell, Edwards, Maxey, Fox, Young and a bunch of other players. Of the guys in the top 30 scorers range, he's been more efficient than about half of them. I would classify that as really good efficiency even if he's not built to be a number 1 option on high volume.

[phanman]

I'm excited to see the return of a fast breaking Pascal:

[tsherkin]

I mean he's been more efficient than guys like Brunson, Mitchell, Edwards, Maxey, Fox, Young and a bunch of other players.

Yeah, he's +1.1% over Brunson, who isn't that efficient a scorer and is a point-of-attack small guard, so it's not even surprising. This isn't a good benchmark for what is "really efficient," because those guys aren't. Maxey's like +0.2% over league average, which isn't good at all. It isn't horrible, but it's definitely not what you want out of a second option.

Of the guys in the top 30 scorers range, he's been more efficient than about half of them. I would classify that as really good efficiency even if he's not built to be a number 1 option on high volume.

We'll call that a semantic difference. I don't think a player should be shooting that much if the efficiency isn't there, particularly if they aren't also providing consequential playmaking to offset the loss that causes to broader team offensive efficiency. If you have no other choice, sure, but if you do...

Anyway, Siakam's efficiency is going to improve notably in the Indiana environment, which will nullify this aspect of the conversation, I'd suspect.

[ForeverTFC]

Any chance Toronto buys out Bruce Brown if they can’t trade him?

Why? They can just decline his option at the end of the year and get him off the books.

[Frank Dux]

Seems kind of weird for a young team to push their chips in at this point. I like the Siakim fit, but I don’t love multiple outgoing firsts for an expiring.

[BigGargamel]

Seems kind of weird for a young team to push their chips in at this point. I like the Siakim fit, but I don’t love multiple outgoing firsts for an expiring.

LOL what chips? They didn't trade any young players/prospects at all.

You mean, they may miss out on drafting the next Ben Sheppard. Who? Exactly.

I do not get this thought process whatsoever.

[dkb964]

I love this for Indy. Swing for the fences. So what if you miss a few low first rounders going forward. It really won't matter. Bringing in, even just potentially, a difference maker is so much more important.

While not the same player Siakam is on the Julius Randle tier of player. Sure it is great if you have that type of player on a reasonable deal but it becomes problematic when that level of player wants to be paid like a superstar.

[Courtside]

You mean like Pascal Siakam, who was picked at 27?

DeAndre' Bembry
Malachi Richardson
Ante Žižić
Timothé Luwawu-Cabarrot
Brice Johnson
Furkan Korkmaz

Do you know what this list represents? I give you a clue, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, and 26.

just because Siakam hit, doesn't mean these picks in the 20s are valuable.

I never said they were valuable. I did say they weren't as worthless as others are making them sound, and the Raptors aren't afraid to pick in those spots.

Also, the fact that they hit on Pascal and not the other bums is sorta proof that the Raptors, perhaps mote than other teams, are good at finding value there.

[Nuntius]

This is BS. He is shooting 52% this season which is 2nd highest in his career (highest was the championship season at 54%).

You obviously know the difference between FG% and 'shooting.' Siakam is shooting 75% at the rim this year but 32% from 3 and 38% from 16ft-3pt line.

I think 'lack of shooting' is the wrong wording here, he can obviously shoot from distance but it's more like he's a medium-low shooter for a max-type player. But I also think he's not bad enough that he'll mess too much with the Pacers flow, even if a better shooter with his same skillset would obviously be more ideal.

I think posters are getting a bit carried away pointing out Pascal's shooting as a negative, as one should look at where Pascal is shooting his 3's and the system that he's in. Historically, Pascal is a 37% shooter from 3 in the corners and this season, he's shooting corner 3's at a 48% clip - which is better than Smith and Turner by a decent margin. What brings his 3pt% down is at the top and in transition. However, I feel he's in a system where he has to do too much and carry too much responsibility on offense - in Indy, he won't have to. Having Turner and Pascal on either side will really stretch the floor and with Pascal's skillset and passing ability, I think they can take the Indy offense up another notch.

That is interesting to know.

Turner is actually fairly pedestrian from the corners (maybe even below average). His 3-point percentage is good due to his ability to shoot 3s from the top of the key and the elbows. I have also noticed that Siakam isn't used a lot as a PnR roll man.

So, in theory, at least, a Hali/Myles PnR with Siakam spotting up in the corner works very well. And so does Siakam operating in the post with Myles spotting up at the top of the key.

[MrBigShot]

I like the deal for both teams. Moreso for the raps if 2 of those picks are outside of this years very mediocre draft.

[BigGargamel]

Also, who cares if the Pacers give Siakam 30 mill a year. Why do fans act like owners overpaying is their personal problem? The Pacers don't sign free agents. They'll have Siakam, Haliburton, Turner locked down through at least next year. That's a very nice trio to build around. Plus quite a few young talented players surrounding them. Siakam is only 29, don't know why people are acting like he's nearing the end of his career.

[Exp0sed]

Markannen is a pipedream. Don't think he is even on the market. Utah would be foolish to trade him for anything like an allready established young guy and I don't even know who that would be. They are on a run and have no reason to trade him.

not a Pacers fan myself but I agree with everything u said



seems very strange, and all that for Siakam of all people?
I think Siakam is a good player and will make the team better but he's not some superstar where u say ok Brucie, srry we love ya but..

I think this narrative about Brown is BS personally. In this instance a 1+1 deal with a team option is exactly what it is, a very team friendly deal that allows for maximum flexibility in trades or potential free agency. I assume him and his agent aren’t stupid. Brown took the most money, this was the only way he was getting $20 million a year and he took it. I think it’s absurd to portray using his contract in a trade as some sort of betrayal. This is what he signed up for.

I wasn't aware that his second year was non-guaranteed until someone pointed it out (and after i wrote this post)

I agree, he and his agent aren't dumb and they knew exactly what they were getting into when they signed it
so not a bad look, I take that back

[Ben-N1ce]

It's a good trade for Indy for sure. Those pick are whatever. All the East teams in the playoffs will be good teams.

[Jcity08]

Pacers easily won the trade, we waited way too long to move Pascal and this is the result. He could have walked in the Summer so any return is better than nothing I guess.

[dkb964]

Also, who cares if the Pacers give Siakam 30 mill a year. Why do fans act like owners overpaying is their personal problem? The Pacers don't sign free agents. They'll have Siakam, Haliburton, Turner locked down through at least next year. That's a very nice trio to build around. Plus quite a few young talented players surrounding them. Siakam is only 29, don't know why people are acting like he's nearing the end of his career.

He is getting way more than 30M a year. He makes 38M a year now and wants a raise. He will get the max. Not sure what that even is but I imagine around 45M a year that only keeps going up year after year.

[Nuntius]

The picks are NOT a big deal I repeat NOT a big deal.

When you get a lottery pick and end up with Jarace Walker I can understand why you’d devalue picks

Plus the rest of the core is young so better to add now while you still can. Bruce Brown was another example of an overpay bc they had the cap space now, they won’t have it in 3 years.

Good job by Indy. Win win. I wish we could get some talent like this for LaMelo to play with, FFS…

Seriously, who's that Jarace Walker? How bad is he for me to not even having ever heard his name?

He's not bad but he isn't currently playing outside of garbage time. He is killing it in the G-League, though.

Frankly, a significant number of the very young picks in last year's lotto aren't playing as much as expected right now. I do believe that they all have upside to play more and do more stuff in the future.

[xBulletproof]

I genuinely don't believe the Pacers are done, either. We still have a lot of rotation players that won't be playing. Still have picks we can trade, and expiring money like Hield.

We apparently TRIED to get OG and Siakam together before the NYK trade. So, I feel like we are aware this isn't a finished product, that we are still 1 player short, likely.

[Blazing_royale]

Good trade for both teams. I'll miss Siakam but it was time to move on with him. He's gonna kill it with the Pacers, he got championship experience and Hali will set him up nicely on offence.

[slickrickstyles]

Pretty sure that frees up a roster spot for the master of ceremonies, Lance Stephenson

[slickrickstyles]

I genuinely don't believe the Pacers are done, either. We still have a lot of rotation players that won't be playing. Still have picks we can trade, and expiring money like Hield.

We apparently TRIED to get OG and Siakam together before the NYK trade. So, I feel like we are aware this isn't a finished product, that we are still 1 player short, likely.

Thought it was interesting that we just waived James Johnson as well.