While they’re sneaking under the radar right now, the Indiana Pacers are one of many teams who could take a leap forward this season. Considering they went from 25 to 35 wins in coach Rick Carlisle’s second year at the helm, could we see another jump in 2023-24?
The Pacers already boast plenty of young, developing talent in Tyrese Haliburton, Bennedict Mathurin, and Jarace Walker, plus veteran stalwarts Buddy Hield, Bruce Brown, and Myles Turner. That’s a talented bunch, even if it’s not a championship contender.
But what if the Pacers aren’t done adding impact players this summer?
According to SportsNet’s Michael Grange, the Pacers have registered interest in trading for 2x All-NBA Toronto Raptors star Pascal Siakam this offseason. Siakam is entering the final year of his contract with the Raptors and has been linked to several trade rumors this offseason.
The Raptors have already lost one franchise cornerstone in Fred VanVleet, after the All-Star point guard signed with the Houston Rockets, but that move didn’t send any talent back to Toronto. A Siakam trade, on the other hand, could bring in a number of potentially impact players, whether it’s right away or through the draft.
Siakam has a $37.8 million cap hit for the 2023-24 season, so the Pacers and any other team hoping to trade for him would have to shed some contracts to make salaries match per NBA trade rules. In addition to Indiana having interest, the Atlanta Hawks are also gauging Siakam’s market this summer.
Still just 29, Siakam is a former NBA champion and could help a number of teams trying to win now. For the Raptors, he’s either a piece to help continue teaching the younger players, setting a strong example as the organization shifts from Nick Nurse to Darko Rajakovic or one of their best trade chips. Their plan should become clear soon enough.