NBA Trade Grades: Pacers Swing Big on Pascal Siakam

The NBA’s trade season is finally underway.

The Indiana Pacers are acquiring two-time All-Star forward Pascal Siakam from the Toronto Raptors, ESPN reported Wednesday. The Pacers reportedly will send guard Bruce Brown, swingman Jordan Nwora and three first-round picks to the Raptors in the deal. The New Orleans Pelicans are facilitating the transaction as a third team and will trade Kira Lewis Jr. to Toronto.

Siakam, 29, is averaging 22.2 points, 6.3 rebounds and 4.9 assists per game this season. He was a hot name on the trade market, also attached to teams such as the Golden State Warriors and Atlanta Hawks. Brown, 27, signed with Indiana as a free agent before the season.

Let’s grade the deal for Indiana and Toronto.

Pacers: A

These are the swings from a small market I endorse 99.9% of the time. I commend Indy for trying to capitalize on the success of this season and for trying to find a star talent to pair with Tyrese Haliburton. Siakam is a great fit on paper. He should benefit from the spacing the Pacers provide, and he gives them a more traditional wing threat in the half court, capable of creating for himself in the paint and midrange. He’s a natural screen-and-roll partner for Haliburton, and Siakam’s minutes can be staggered to carry bench groups.

While Brown was a good signing for the Pacers, he was ultimately expendable because of the team’s plethora of talent in the backcourt. Siakam can provide much of the defense being lost with Brown and is an even more flexible option on that end of the floor thanks to his size.

Even if Siakam doesn’t re-sign, I think this is a great move. The picks being moved out aren’t all that exciting. Indy’s own 2024 first as well as the Thunder ’24 pick reportedly going out in this deal will both fall outside the lottery. One more first is a small price to pay when the Pacers don’t have to move off any of their young players.

Ultimately, Indy acquired an All-Star forward who is a sensible fit next to its budding star at a relatively bargain price. Everyone wants every trade to make a team a championship contender. The Pacers haven’t been out of the first round of the playoffs since 2014. Being a perennial second-round team would be an upgrade for Indy. With the middle of the East jumbled up, the Pacers have taken a step above their competition—for now. 

Related: Raptors Trade Pascal Siakam to Pacers in Three-Team Deal, per Report

Raptors: B

Three firsts sound more exciting on paper than when you dig into the ones Toronto is actually getting. It would be surprising if any of the three are in the lottery, but it’s still a decent haul for a player who could have left in free agency this summer.

I also wonder whether Brown will remain on the Raptors beyond the trade deadline. He has a $23 million team option for next season, which makes his contract effectively an expiring one. Toronto could try to move him and generate even more assets for their upcoming rebuild. Even though there was seemingly quite a furor over Siakam and O.G. Anunoby at last season’s deadline, if the Raptors come away with Immanuel Quickley, RJ Barrett and a slew of firsts that could be used for their own big move in the future as a return, that’s solid work.