The Indiana Pacers continue to lurk in Pascal Siakam trade talks. All indications are the Pacers remain interested in the Toronto Raptors forward and have reportedly been among the “league’s most aggressive teams in trade talks,” Marc Stein wrote in his Sunday SubStack. The Pacers have repeatedly been mentioned as a team eyeing Siakam ahead of the Feb. 8 trade deadline and have continued trade talks with Toronto after missing out on OG Anunoby earlier this season. The Pacers, however, are said to be reluctant to include Bennedict Mathurin or Jarace Walker in trade talks, Stein wrote. Mathurin, 21, has become a valuable bench player for Indiana with tremendous upside while Walker, 20, has been a star in the G League so far in his rookie campaign. Indiana instead is reportedly hoping to build a package around Buddy Hield and a future first-round pick, Stein added. The Pacers have two first-round picks this year, their own and the least valuable pick of Oklahoma City, Houston, Utah, or the Los Angeles Clippers. They also have all their future first-round picks moving forward. Hield has been a 40% three-point shooter for his career and is an explosive offensive role player, but he doesn’t offer much else aside from his shooting. The 31-year-old is averaging 12.7 points per game this year and is on an expiring contract worth $18.6 million this year. Considering Siakam’s contract size, Indiana would have to add at least $11 million in additional salary to the deal just to make the trade work. That would either mean including Bruce Brown in a bigger deal with Toronto or multiple of Indiana’s less expensive players.
Siakam is averaging 22.3 points, 4.9 assists, and 6.3 rebounds per game while shooting 52.6% from the field and 33.1% from three-point range this year. He too is on an expiring contract and his willingness to re-sign with whomever he is traded to will certainly factor into whatever trade package Toronto receives for the 29-year-old two-time All-Star.
