76ers Rival Report: What’s Pacers’ Future Plans With Pascal Siakam?
The Philadelphia 76ers anticipate having enough cap space to potentially bring in one of the NBA’s most notable free agents next summer. Lately, it’s become clear that some of the top prospects might be out of the question, as they land on new teams ahead of the 2024 trade deadline.
First, it was OG Anunoby, who the Raptors traded to the New York Knicks. Now, it’s Pascal Siakam, who lands on the Indiana Pacers after the Toronto Raptors and the Pacers struck a blockbuster deal on Wednesday afternoon.
Similar to Anunoby, Siakam leaves Toronto amid his contract year. While he’ll finish the 2023-2024 NBA season as a member of the Pacers, his future still remains in question.
However, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reports that Siakam has his sights set on sticking around in Indiana long-term.
“He is eager to talk about an extension this summer with Indiana,” Wojnarowski said on NBA Today Wednesday. “There are no shortage of guys who love the idea of playing with Tyrese Haliburton. Siakam was among them.”
Anything can happen between Siakam’s Pacers debut and his final game of the 2023-2024 season that could totally change the direction of the relationship.
For the time being, it seems Siakam is sold on the future of Indiana, as they’ve developed into one of the Eastern Conference’s most notable risers.
As they grow with their soon-to-be two-time All-Star guard, Tyrese Haliburton, the Pacers place seventh in the Eastern Conference with a 23-17 record. Prior to the Siakam trade, they were viewed as playoff contenders with inexperience in the postseason.
By adding the now-former Raptors forward, the view changes a bit. Siakam is a multi-time NBA All-Star and has several years of playoff contention on his resume. In 2019, Siakam was a critical piece in the Raptors’ NBA Finals run.
It’s unclear where the Sixers’ interest level was in a trade for Siakam, but if they were planning to target him this summer as a potential prospect they could sign, the opportunity might not be there as the Pacers are likely to ensure they lock in their recent investment long-term.
