The Indiana Pacers have acquired All-Star forward Pascal Siakam in a trade with the Toronto Raptors that includes Bruce Brown, Jordan Nwora, and three first-round picks, according to an announcement made on Wednesday.
The New Orleans Pelicans transferred Kira Lewis Jr. and a 2024 second-round selection to the Pacers in a separate deal, according to the announcement. The Pacers then traded Lewis to the Raptors.
The Raptors will receive two first-round picks in 2024 (Indiana’s own selection and the lesser of a Utah/Houston/LA Clippers/Oklahoma City pick), and the third in 2026 (from Indiana), according to the announcement.
“We’re incredibly excited to welcome Pascal to Indiana,” Pacers President Kevin Pritchard said in a statement. “As a two-time All-NBA pick and two-time NBA All-Star, Pascal is a player that our club has always revered and respected. We believe that his distinct offensive skill set will compliment our style of play, while his defensive versatility will be an invaluable asset to our squad.”
Siakam, who has played all eight NBA seasons with the Raptors, is averaging 22.2 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 4.9 assists this season. According to ESPN, he is thrilled with the arrangement and expects to sign a new contract with the team this summer.
Siakam, 29, could become a free agent in July. He is earning about $38 million this season.
“I’m excited that Pascal is getting a first-class opportunity with the Pacers, being paired with Tyrese [Haliburton] and Myles [Turner] and being coached by a great coach in Rick Carlisle,” Siakam’s agent, Todd Ramasar, stated to
“His future looks bright there.”
The Pacers, who are sixth in the Eastern Conference standings, are the NBA’s leading scorers this season. Siakam is moving from Toronto, which leads the league in fast-break points per game, to Indiana, which is second.
The Pacers will play the Raptors three more times this season, including twice in Toronto. Their next encounter is on Valentine’s Day in Toronto.
Siakam, who was named an All-Star in both 2020 and 2023, has a career average of 17.4 points and 6.5 rebounds. He won the NBA championship with the Raptors in 2019 and has been named to the All-NBA team twice.
On Wednesday, the Pacers dismissed veteran forward James Johnson, who had participated in five games since signing in mid-December.
Brown, 27, will be joining his fourth team in three seasons, having previously played for the Pacers, Nuggets, and Nets. This season, he has a career-high scoring average of 12.1 points.
Nwora, 25, has averaged 5.2 points per game.
Lewis appeared in 118 games, all as a reserve, throughout parts of four seasons with the Pelicans, averaging 2.9 points this season. By moving Lewis, the Pelicans will be able to get below the luxury tax level.
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