Toronto Resets While Indiana Reloads in Blockbuster NBA Trade
The seven-seeded Indiana Pacers just traded for Pascal Siakam. It is within the realm of them to jump to the fourth seed after acquiring him from the Toronto Raptors. Realistically and on paper, they are not as exceptional as Boston, Milwaukee, Philadelphia and Cleveland but they are profoundly dangerous with now two all-NBA players at the helm.
Spicy P Has Become Underappreciated
Although he is not at the level Draymond Green is defensively, Siakam is still one of the most versatile players in the league. He is able to guard and switch onto every position one through five while holding his own. According to NBA.com, the Pacers are a bottom-five team in the defensive rating category. Just barely edging out rebuilding teams in Charlotte, Washington and Detroit. Adversely, the Pacers hold the number one spot in offensive rating.
At long last, the Toronto Raptors finally decided to press the proverbial reset button after years of muddling in the play-in or worse. During the 2020-2021 season, the Raptors were unable to play in Toronto because of the dangers of travel during the height of the pandemic. Thus, the NBA opted for them to play in Tampa for the entirety of the season. All 82 games were essentially away games for the team which would make any organization uncomfortable.
The malaise of that season affected the Raptors poorly which landed them at the twelve seed in the end.
The Raptors ended up obtaining the fourth pick in the 2021 NBA draft and selected Scottie Barnes who would go onto win the rookie of the year award. They did not resign Fred Van Vleet and just recently traded OG Anunoby for two younger players in RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley. Siakam was the WCW Sting in the rafters, waiting to be moved for the perfect opportunity. The Cameroonian power forward was not an afterthought but just did not have the team around him to prioritize his skillset to make a serious playoff push. As proven by his usage rate for the entirety of his Raptor`s tenure, where he shared similar percentages and responsibilities with the rest of the remaining squad from the 2019 championship year.
A+ Trade For Both Teams
The general consensus amongst the media is that the Pacers unquestionably fleeced the Raptors with this trade. Along with Siakam, the Pacers also received a second-round pick. As for the Raptors, they are bringing in Bruce Brown, Kira Lewis, Jordan Nwora and three first-round picks. The rationale that this trade was a fleece is false because it is clear that the Raptors are prioritizing picks over players to expand their talent pool from the draft to build upon their core in Barnes and Barrett. Most likely, Bruce Brown will not remain a Raptor in the long term as he has proven his value as one of the league`s best role players since winning a championship with the Denver Nuggets in 2023.
Some sides even argue that the Raptors fleeced the Pacers for receiving three first round picks for an expiring deal in Siakam who may leave in free agency. This ideology is objectively false as well because Indiana is going to give Siakam what he wants in terms of salary when the off season comes around. Indiana is a huge and historic basketball city but in no way are they considered a big market. Their last big free agent signing was in 2011 when they acquired David West. If the Pacers cannot retain Siakam, then they will have ultimately lost the trade.
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