The NBA trade season is buzzing with activity following a major deal between the Pacers and Raptors
On Wednesday, the Indiana Pacers announced the acquisition of All-Star forward Pascal Siakam in a trade deal. The trade involved sending Bruce Brown, Jordan Nwora, and three first-round picks to the Toronto Raptors.In a separate deal, the New Orleans Pelicans traded Kira Lewis Jr. and a 2024 second-round pick to the Pacers. Subsequently, the Pacers traded Lewis to the Raptors.
In the recent trade, the Raptors will receive two first-round picks in 2024: one from Indiana and another from the less favorable selection between Utah, Houston, LA Clippers, or Oklahoma City. The third pick is set for 2026 and is also from Indiana, as officially announced.
“We’re truly thrilled to welcome Pascal to Indiana,” expressed Pacers president Kevin Pritchard. “As a two-time All-NBA selection and two-time NBA All-Star, Pascal is a player we’ve long admired. We believe his unique offensive skills will complement our style of play, and his defensive versatility will be a valuable asset to our team.”
Siakam, who has played his entire eight NBA seasons with Toronto, is currently averaging 22.2 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 4.9 assists this season. He is enthusiastic about the recent deal and is expected to be eager to negotiate a new contract with the franchise this upcoming summer.
Siakam, aged 29, is set to become a free agent in July, currently earning almost $38 million this season.
“I’m thrilled that Pascal has this fantastic opportunity with the Pacers, alongside Tyrese and Myles and under the guidance of a great coach like Rick Carlisle,” shared Siakam’s agent, Todd Ramasar, with Andscape. “His future looks promising there.”
The Pacers, currently ranked No. 6 in the Eastern Conference, hold the title for the highest-scoring team in the NBA this season. Siakam is making a switch from Toronto, which leads the league in fast-break points per game, to Indiana, currently ranked second. The Pacers are scheduled to face the Raptors three more times this season, including two matchups in Toronto. The next game is set for Valentine’s Day in Toronto.
Siakam, a two-time All-Star in 2020 and 2023, has maintained a career average of 17.4 points and 6.5 rebounds. He achieved an NBA championship with the Raptors in 2019 and received All-NBA honors twice.
The Pacers also announced the release of veteran forward James Johnson on Wednesday, who played in five games since joining in mid-December.
At 27 years old, Brown is set to join his fourth team in the past three seasons, previously playing for the Pacers, Nuggets, and Nets. He is currently having a career-best season with an average of 12.1 points.
Nwora, 25, is averaging 5.2 points per game.
Lewis, having played in 118 games, exclusively in a reserve role over parts of four seasons with the Pelicans, is currently averaging 2.9 points this season. The Pelicans are making this move to ensure they stay below the luxury tax threshold.