Pascal Siakam Trade Grades

On Wednesday, the Toronto Raptors traded all-star forward Pascal Siakam in a three-team trade involving the Indiana Pacers and New Orleans Pelicans.

Trade details:

Indiana receives: F Pascal Siakam, 2024 second-round pick (via New Orleans)

Toronto receives: G Bruce Brown, G-F Jordan Nwora, G Kira Lewis Jr, and three first-round picks (one via Indiana in 2024, one via the worst of OKC/Utah/Houston/Clippers, and another via Indiana in 2026 which is protected 1-4).

New Orleans receives: Cash considerations

Siakam is a free agent this summer and will now most likely re-sign with the Pacers.

Trade Grades:

Indiana Pacers - B

This trade took me a while to digest. Don’t get me wrong, Siakam is a phenomenal player who is currently averaging 22 PPG on 52.2% shooting in his 8th year. There is no question adding Siakam makes the Pacers a top (4?) team in the East, but does he really help Indiana’s chances of making a title run in the next few years? In my opinion, the Pacers added the wrong Raptor. OG Anunoby would have solved significantly more of Indiana’s problems (especially on the defensive end) than what Siakam will attempt to fix in Indianapolis. Comparing Domantas Sabonis to Siakam isn’t necessarily fair since they have different(ish) skill sets, but I can see Siakam’s fit next to Myles Turner being similar to Sabonis’s fit - clustered. However, Sabonis didn’t get to play with the ultra-talented Tyrese Haliburton which makes all the difference in the world from an offensive standpoint. This trade could work wonders for the Pacers, but don’t be surprised if it back-fires on them too.

Toronto Raptors - A

It seems like general manager Masai Ujiri has learned from the consequences of not trading upcoming free agents before the trade deadline. Last off-season, the Raptors lost point guard Fred VanVleet in free agency and didn’t receive a nickel in return. Come this year, Ujiri has dealt both OG Anunoby and Pascal Siakam many weeks before the trade deadline. The result? A strong kick-start rebuild which has landed Toronto RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley, three first-round picks, and whatever they flip Bruce Brown for (and I guess Jordan Nwora and Kira Lewis Jr). In just a few weeks, Toronto knows the direction of its franchise and has the resources to construct an exciting, young team. The only area of concern? The Spurs own their 2024 first-round pick (top 6 protected) from the Jakob Poeltl trade last February.