Indiana Pacers hope Pascal Siakam partnership becomes long-term in free agency

Siakam is a free agent this summer

Mar 7, 2024; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indiana Pacers forward Pascal Siakam (43) dribbles the ball while Minnesota Timberwolves forward Kyle Anderson (1) defends during the first half at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports / Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports

INDIANAPOLIS — The biggest story of the Indiana Pacers offseason is the free agency of Pascal Siakam. The forward is an unrestricted free agent who is eligible for a five-year, $240+ million deal with the Pacers, but he can explore deals with any team.

The Pacers have shared that retaining the two-time All-Star is priority number one this summer. He was terrific for the blue and gold during the regular season and the playoffs — in the postseason, Siakam averaged 21.6 points and 7.5 rebounds per game.

Early offseason reporting suggests that there is mutual interest from both the Pacers and Siakam in a reunion. And Siakam was already asked about his free agency during his end-of-season exit interview back in May.

"Just being here, the home games, it's incredible," Siakam said. "How would you not be a part of that?" He was traded to Indiana in January, then played the final 41 games in the regular season for the blue and gold.

Now, the team will try to re-sign him. Pacers general manager Chad Buchanan discussed what Siakam's free agency could look like for the front office in late May, and while he wouldn't confirm if the team was going to offer a max deal, he did share details about his team's pursuit of Siakam.

"Pascal was a great fit, obviously we targeted him in the trade... I thought he came in and was a tremendous piece to the puzzle for us. [He] had a major impact on the team both on the court and in the locker room," Buchanan said. He noted that Siakam's experience was valuable, and that was an important storyline for the Pacers in the postseason.

Indiana reached the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time in a decade this past season, and Siakam's play and leadership were important in that run. He rarely had a bad game and routinely kept his team in the right mental state.

"He had a great playoff run for us, too. Seems to be happy here, we're obviously happy with him. Hope that this is something long term for both sides," Buchanan said of Siakam's free agency. The Pacers and Siakam will be able to negotiate officially one day after the NBA Finals ends, a new change made in the new Collective Bargaining Agreement.

"The reality is, we've only had Pascal for half of a season. He's been such a big part of the team but he hasn't had a full training camp with us. He hasn't really settled into Indy yet. I think that's part of our thinking," Buchanan added.

Siakam averaged 21.3 points and 7.8 rebounds per game in the regular season. The Pacers traded three first-round picks to acquire the former All-NBA forward a few months ago. He fit well on the court and liked Indianapolis, but now it's time for business. The Pacers will try to make sure they retain their star forward.

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