Pacers' roster remains a work in progress, interest in Raptors F Pascal Siakam is real
Pacers' roster remains a work in progress, interest in Raptors F Pascal Siakam is real
They've kept their powder dry thus far and have accumulated more assets this summer for when the right deal can be made.
LAS VEGAS — Just because the Indiana Pacers completed several moves this offseason doesn’t mean they’re a finished product.
They agreed to three trades involving draft picks before they finally made their first selection in Jarace Walker at 8, then later agreed to a free-agent deal with Bruce Brown, dealt Chris Duarte to the Kings and acquired Obi Toppin.
Still, more roster consolidation is necessary as the Pacers get their head above water and come out the other side of a rebuild.
One player that appears to be available is Raptors forward Pascal Siakam. There’s been a lot of questions regarding his future in Toronto in recents months. The Pacers are interested and have touched base with Raptors officials, per league sources. Michael Grange of Sportsnet in Toronto first noted on Monday that Indiana reached out.
Players of Siakam’s caliber — a two-time NBA All-Star and two-time All-NBA player — don’t sign with the Pacers in free agency so the team must consider trade options for bigger targets like him.
Siakam is 29 and has been training in Orlando, Fla. this summer. He's coming off a career season in which he averaged 24.2 points, 7.8 rebounds and 5.8 assists per game.
He was drafted by the Raptors with the 27th pick in 2016 and has played with Toronto for his first seven seasons. But a fresh start elsewhere appears likely. Fred VanVleet already left for a lucrative contract with the Houston Rockets. And Nick Nurse was replaced as head coach by Darko Rajakovic from the Grizzlies’ staff.
The Pacers were actively talking with many teams leading up to the draft with consideration for their accumulation of picks in 2023 — five in total, including No. 7.
“We were very, very aggressive pursuing a group of about five or six guys that fit our timeline, fit a possessional need, fit the way we play and unfortunately, those guys were not available,” general manager Chad Buchanan revealed recently. “We were very aggressive in some of our pursuits of those guys.