of toronto raptors I finally did it. After years of speculation about when and how the Raptors would dismantle their mid-major roster, Toronto has decided to trade one of the best players in franchise history with the only remaining 2019 NBA champion team. The final decision was made to accept reconstruction.
raptors traded Pascal Siakam to the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday. In return, Toronto received guard Bruce Brown, forward Jordan Nwora, two 2024 first-round picks, and the Pacers' 2026 first-round pick, which is protected within the top four. The Raptors would receive the Pacers' own 2024 pick and the least favorable of the Jazz/Clippers/Rockets/Thunder picks in a complicated swap from an earlier trade. Kira Lewis was also scheduled to be traded to the Raptors from the New Orleans Pelicans and was included in the deal to free up funds.
If you want to see how Toronto will use their newly acquired picks, check out our 2024 NBA mock draft.
The Raptors had already acquired longtime standout OG Anunoby in a trade. new york knicks 3 weeks ago. By releasing Siakam, Toronto is committing to a youth movement built around 22-year-old forward Scottie Barnes. From the Pacers' perspective, acquiring Siakam shows the team is serious about building a contender around their young star, point guard Tyrese Haliburton.
This is an attractive deal. Let's score from both sides.
Pacers Grade: A-
The Pacers are one of the best stories in the NBA this year. With Haliburton emerging as a superstar, Indiana currently had the best offense in league history, scoring 121.6 points per 100 possessions at the time of the trade. The offense has gotten the Pacers off to a 23-17 start, and the team is currently the seventh seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs.
Indiana has two major problems this season: inconsistent defense and lack of size. At the time of the trade, the Pacers' defense ranked 27th in the NBA, largely because they were too undermanned and too thin. Siakam will help fix both areas right away.
At 6'8, 245 pounds, with a 7'3 wingspan, Siakam provided Indiana's No. 4 with immediate size and defensive impact. He joins center Myles Turner to form a versatile front line on both ends of the floor. The Pacers, who have been in shootouts all season, will suddenly be able to make a stop.
Siakam first became an NBA star because he got the job done on defense. When Kawhi Leonard eventually left the Raptors for the Los Angeles Clippers in free agency, Siakam became a prolific forward scorer who could attack mismatches off the dribble and dominate smaller opponents. Siakam has averaged at least 21 points per game for five years in a row and will bring a new dimension to the Pacers' offense.
Siakam isn't just a one-on-one scorer, he's also a secondary handler and facilitator. In Toronto, the Raptors had some of the worst spacing in the league, so attacking the rim for Siakam didn't look easy. Toronto consistently scores in the 20s on 3-point and 3-point shooting percentages, leading the way on a floor that is cramped for star forwards.
Indiana has no such problem. The Pacers are shooting more than 40 percent from three field goals, with a percentage of 38.1 percent, the fifth highest in the NBA. With a genius point guard like Haliburton in control and a plethora of shooters around him, Siakam's scoring efficiency and playmaking could be at another level. The biggest knock against Siakam was his own poor outside shooting — he shot 31.7 percent from threes this season and 32.4 percent from triples last year — but the people around him That should be less of a problem in Indiana, where there are a lot of shots.
There's also the issue of Siakam's age and contract. Siakam turns 30 in April, when his contract expires. He will command a huge new contract that will pay him into his 30s. Toronto decided that wasn't the deal it wanted. Indiana is ready and willing to do it. How Siakam will age without a reliable jumper is one of the big questions in the aftermath of this trade, but now that the Pacers have acquired the rights to the Birds, it's possible he'll sign with the Pacers. That's assuming you agree. With Indiana not being a hot free agent prospect, the Pacers paid a premium for the pick and ended up signing another star in Haliburton.
Siakam's next contract may be a little scary, but his current on-court fit is great. The Pacers add size, defense, and a secondary creator next to Haliburton. These are all things Indiana didn't have despite getting off to a great start this season, compared to the Knicks, Miami Heat, cleveland cavaliers.
It's a bold move, but the Pacers also didn't have to let go of their best young players in this deal, keeping Benedict Mathurin, Andrew Nembhard and Jareth Walker in the deal. While “three firsts” may sound like a big deal for Siakam, these picks don't have the same upside as unprotected picks. Indiana had to be bold to acquire another star, and they did it. That should be celebrated.
Raptors grade: A-
The Raptors had no intention of paying Siakam his next contract. That was their main motivation for making this deal. Toronto probably could have gotten more if they had decided to trade Siakam last year or the year before, but the Raptors still did well enough to gain assets in this deal for an expiring player. Ta.
After this deal, Toronto will now have the 18th and 27th overall picks in the 2024 NBA Draft. Our latest mock draft takes G League Ignite forward Tyler Smith and Arkansas big man Trevon Brazil with those selections. Toronto also has another draft pick in play, which also influenced this deal.
Last season, Toronto traded a top-six protected 2024 first-round pick for big man Jakob Poeltl. If the Raptors pick him at No. 7 or below, san antonio spurs. By releasing Siakam, Toronto could improve its chances of breaking the record and keeping the pick. As of now, the Raptors' pick is No. 6 going into the lottery. The latest mock had the team choose Kentucky guard Rob Dillingham with that selection.
Brown is an interesting addition for the Raptors. The 6-foot-3 guard played a key role on the Denver Nuggets' NBA championship team last season before signing a lucrative two-year deal with the Pacers in free agency. Brown has a team option worth $23 million next season. The Raptors can turn him into a contender at the trade deadline, use his salary to acquire another high-paid player they want, or deny the top option open cap room. right. Brown is a great player and his unique contract makes him even more valuable.
After acquiring Immanuel Quickley and RJ Barrett in the Anunoby trade with the Knicks, Toronto prioritized acquiring picks in the Siakam trade. Although 2024 is considered a bad draft, there is still a chance that these picks could be very valuable. The last draft that looked this bad was in 2013. Giannis Antetokounmpo and Rudy Gobert were selected in the mid- and late-first rounds of that draft.
The Raptors finally chose lane. Now he's on Burns' team, with Quickley as his partner. It's tough to trade for a franchise legend like Siakam, but Toronto did a good job of acquiring this many picks if they don't want to pay him until his mid-30s. This is a rare trade in the NBA that makes sense for both parties.
