The Indiana Pacers made all the right moves to acquire and keep Pascal Siakam long term

Siakam has agreed to stay with the Pacers

Mar 22, 2024; San Francisco, California, USA; Indiana Pacers forward Pascal Siakam (43) warms up before the game against the Golden State Warriors at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: John Hefti-USA TODAY Sports / John Hefti-USA TODAY Sports

INDIANAPOLIS — The Indiana Pacers and Pascal Siakam have agreed to terms on a long-term contract already. They were among the first groups to find common contractual ground during this free agency period — just two days after the NBA Finals concluded, the deal was reportedly done.

The speed in which the two parties found the right deal suggests that the mutual interest between the two parties on a reunion was strong, and it's possible the Pacers may not have traded to acquire Siakam in the first place without feeling great about their chances to keep the two-time All-Star forward. But if there was any doubt about a long-term agreement back in January when Siakam was sent to the blue and gold, the Pacers made sure to do everything possible to retain the former All-NBA forward.

If Siakam was going to be confident that Indiana was the right place for him — and he may have felt that soon after the trade — the Pacers were going to have to show him that they were a dream fit. In order to do that and make free agency a slam dunk, the Pacers had a few things to prove.

They needed to show that their star player, Tyrese Haliburton, was a great partner for Siakam. They had to support the star forward through his trade from Toronto to Indiana, and they had to display an ability to reach the postseason and win. Any of those things could have been proof to Siakam that Indianapolis was the right place for him to sign during unrestricted free agency, All of them happening would be a dream.

Early on in Siakam's tenure with the blue and gold, Haliburton was injured. The two didn't get to play much at full strength early and didn't gel right away. But once they found their footing as a duo, they took off.

By the end of the regular season, Indiana had a +2.2 net rating with both stars on the court and a positive net rating with just one or the other on the floor. For 48 minutes, the Pacers had a potent attack.

Those numbers continued into the playoffs. On the biggest stage, Siakam and Haliburton dominated together with a +9.77 net rating, and that came against some of the Eastern Conference's best teams. They took down the third and second-seeded teams during their run to the Eastern Conference Finals.

"One of the reasons I was excited being here," Siakam said of Haliburton after Game 3 of the second round. That night, the Pacers beat the Knicks to keep the series close, and Haliburton finished with 35 points and seven assists while Siakam had 26 points and seven rebounds. That win turned the conference semifinals on its head.

The Pacers would go on to win that series, and that checked another important box when it came to Siakam's future: team success. Indiana reached the Eastern Conference Finals just four months after acquiring the Cameroonian forward from the Raptors.

"We have a lot of young pieces, we have a lot of people that, for them, it's their first time being in the playoffs. It's exciting," Siakam said after Indiana's final regular season game. He was happy for his less experienced teammates, but as he continued, his delight to have team success became clear.

"This is the best time of the year. Every time you have to stop and plan your vacation now, it's the worst thing ever," he said at the end of the regular season. "Having the opportunity to be here (the playoffs), knowing that you're playing for something, that's something that I always want to do in my career. I think I was a little spoiled my first years in Toronto just being there all the time and feeling like it's something normal. But it's not."

Indiana clinched their spot in the postseason on the last day of the regular season. It was important for many reasons, but near the top of the list was helping Siakam relive those feelings. He ended up being the Pacers best player to open the playoffs.

All of the basketball stuff was going great. Siakam was gelling with Haliburton and leading the blue and gold to wins. But the non-basketball stuff wasn't easy for Siakam. He loved Toronto and had a hard time being traded.

He outlined those struggles during his end-of-season exit interview. But as he explained the situation, he shared that the Pacers made that trade process easier. "Landing here, the support from the first day has been incredible," Siakam said. "I couldn't really ask for anything better just in terms of support from the first day I got here,"

Indiana executives met with Siakam the second he got off the plane in Indianapolis. They helped him get settled in quickly and guided him to his team. It was never forced or rushed. Siakam felt at home quickly.

"I'm so grateful and happy that I came in a place where you just feel so supported and you feel like you're needed, you feel like you matter. As a player, that's really all you can ask for," he said.

That brought it all home. Siakam turned 30 less than three months after being dealt to the Pacers. He is searching for a long-term home. When he was traded to Indiana, he found an environment that featured a dominant co-star, a winning reality, and much-needed support. If he wasn't 100% sure he was re-signing with the blue and gold after the trade, he was by the end of the season.

"I think us three are all a part of the long-term future here in Indy, and I think we're all excited about that," Haliburton said of himself, Myles Turner, and Siakam after winning Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals. That proved to be prescient as Siakam and the Pacers agreed to terms about one month later. Now, Indiana is set up for success, and wins, for years.

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• Source: Indiana Pacers and Pascal Siakam agree to terms on four-year max contract. CLICK HERE.
• Tyrese Haliburton running full speed again, ready for Team USA Olympics commitment. CLICK HERE.
• Indiana Pacers 2024 NBA free agency rumor tracker. CLICK HERE.
• Indiana Pacers 2024 NBA Draft rumor tracker. CLICK HERE.
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