The Pacers Are Hunting For A Star, But What Is Their Strategy?

INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA – NOVEMBER 22: Pascal Siakam #43 of the Toronto Raptors dribbles the ball … [+] while being guarded by Myles Turner #33 of the Indiana Pacers in the third quarter at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on November 22, 2023 in Indianapolis, Indiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)

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The Indiana Pacers have the best offense in the NBA and just made the In-Season Tournament Final against the Los Angeles Lakers. And yet, this team isn’t satisfied quite yet, as they’re reportedly looking at the trade market, trying to identify a key piece to add to their group.

One name that’s been brought up in recent weeks is that of Pascal Siakam of the Toronto Raptors. The 6’9 wing big is one of the most versatile two-way players in the NBA, offering up the ability to be a consistent 20-point scorer, who will switch, hedge, rotate, and do all kinds of wonderful things for your defense – a category in which the Pacers rank 28th in the league.

What a trade might look like is obviously a big question. Buddy Hield, and a key young piece like Bennedict Mathurin, would likely go to Toronto, or perhaps the two rope in a third team to better align value.

What’s interesting is how the Raptors would negotiate from a position of weakness. Siakam is an expiring contract, earning $37.8 million this season, and his contractual status doesn’t allow the Raptors to maximize a return on his talent.

That’s not to say the Pacers could just wait to sign Siakam next summer, as Tyrese Haliburton’s extension kicks in by then, as is the extension given to Aaron Nesmith.

Indiana can offset those salary increases by turning down their $23 million team option on Bruce Brown, and letting Hield’s $19.2 million just expire, but that’s a significant loss of talent, and given that Brown’s option deadline is June 29th, two days before the start of free agency, it’s not risk free.

Ultimately, however, there is merit in discussing the possibility of freeing up money for Siakam, instead of relinquishing valuable pieces, such as Mathurin, for what could be a rental.

The Pacers, quite simply, don’t have time to mess around. Haliburton is a budging superstar, and unquestionably one of the best point guards in the league. It’s absolutely crucial the organization build around him the right way from the beginning. If the Pacers fail to build an adequate competitive team around him, and waste multiple years of his career, that’s not going to end well for them.

A way to minimize risk is by not moving off valuable assets to chase something better, if you can get your targeted player in free agency. That way, the only bad thing that could happen would be spending poorly. While that is problematic in and of itself, you at least wouldn’t have compounded the issue by also including long-term pieces in a trade.

By opening up cap space, the Pacers also open themselves up to other possibilities that may arise in the meantime. Perhaps Siakam’s current teammate, OG Anunoby, finds himself with a keen eye on Indiana, and perhaps the Pacers figure he makes a more seamless fit, and sign him outright.

That isn’t to say free agency is the golden path to an NBA championship. But it is significantly more risk free than blockbuster trades, and given that the Pacers do have avenues of creating themselves cap space, it’s a strategy that shouldn’t go ignored.

As for who their target should be, if not Siakam, Anunoby does make a ton of sense. He went to Indiana university, and is far more accessible as a plug and play element than Siakam, who needs the ball a lot more to be effective.

Also, it wouldn’t be out of the realm of possibility that Anunoby comes a bit cheaper than Siakam, given that he isn’t considered a star.

Could the Pacers perhaps even keep Brown, and still walk away with Anunoby? They’ll probably need to make a few additional moves to fully get to the number of what Anunoby is asking for, but it’s not an impossible journey.

A lineup of Haliburton, Brown, Anunoby, Myles Turner, and Obi Toppin is certainly not a bad start, especially if they hang into Mathurin, Andrew Nembhard, and Jalen Smith in the meantime.

What the Pacers need to really discuss is whether they believe they’re close enough to a championship this season for a mid-season trade to make sense, or if waiting until next year is the more prudent option.

Unless noted otherwise, all stats via NBA.com, PBPStats, Cleaning the Glass or Basketball-Reference. All salary information via Spotrac. All odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook.