Pacers nearing agreement with Pascal Siakam on new contract
Pascal Siakam was acquired by the Pacers via trade in mid-January, and was in a contract year. A new deal will continue the partnership with the Pacers and franchise star Tyrese Haliburton.
Pascal Siakam was eager to be embraced and see his talents maximized by a franchise. He was acquired by the Indiana Pacers in mid-January, then went on to play in every game during their special postseason run to the Eastern Conference Finals.
Now, five months after being moved to a new situation for the first time as a pro, Siakam is nearing an agreement on a new contract with the Pacers to continue that partnership for the long-term, league sources told Fieldhouse Files.
So why now? The NBA’s new Collective Bargaining Agreement allows for teams to begin negotiating contracts on the day following the conclusion of the NBA Finals. That’s Tuesday, after the Boston Celtics finished off the Dallas Mavericks Monday night in five games.
Note: Teams are not permitted to talk with free agents on other teams until 6 p.m. ET on June 30.
After seven-plus seasons, Siakam’s time in Toronto had run its course. He was in a contract year and seeking a significant new deal, one that the Raptors, amidst a rebuild, were unwilling to meet. (They went 25-57 this past season.)
So about two weeks after moving OG Anunoby, who is also in a contract year, the Raptors dealt Siakam to the Pacers. And he made his Pacers debut two days later, on Jan. 19, in Portland.
A few weeks after that transaction, and then another at the trade deadline, general manager Chad Buchanan made clear that “Pascal is gonna be a big part of things moving forward.”