There have been well-sourced rumors for a long time that Pascal Siakam was not long for the Toronto Raptors. The two-time All-Star and 2019 NBA champion didn’t seem entirely happy in Toronto, especially given the organization’s struggles since getting that fateful championship.
Wednesday afternoon had to be a wonderful reprieve for both parties.
According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the Raptors traded Siakam to the Indiana Pacers for the princely sum of three first-round picks and solid glue guys like Bruce Brown. With all the trade consternation surrounding Siakam lately, you can’t help but feel happy for him to finally move onto greener pastures:
BREAKING: The Indiana Pacers are finalizing a trade to acquire All-Star F Pascal Siakam in a deal that will send Bruce Brown, Jordan Nwora and three first-round picks to the Toronto Raptors. New Orleans will be a third team in deal, sending Kira Lewis to the Raptors.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) January 17, 2024
Siakam should be a wonderful big-man fit with Tyrese Haliburton’s rising Pacers. Meanwhile, a Toronto full-scale rebuild is now completely underway. At least Siakam could find his way back onto a new team that might be a championship contender soon enough.
NBA fans were so happy for Siakam getting traded to the Pacers
Possibly my favorite Raptor ever, one of the great development stories over the past 10 years, and the vibes were always good with him (peaking in this pic). Good luck in Indy 🫡 https://t.co/Ln0w2INbzC pic.twitter.com/mTvspZ6rHV
— Mohamed (@MoeSquare) January 17, 2024
Thank you for everything Pascal. Raptors legend forever. https://t.co/C1zELhXJkW pic.twitter.com/CeMRPLyjNP
— Thomas Mooney (@thomas_mooney1) January 17, 2024
There it is. End of an era in Toronto. Siakam was the last remaining piece from the 2019 championship core, and now it's official: his iconic Raptors tenure is over. https://t.co/x33bE4jq2y
— Josh Lewenberg (@JLew1050) January 17, 2024
Pascal Siakam/Tyrese Haliburton pick and rolls…
LORD!!! https://t.co/ODB1xhKd8t pic.twitter.com/d1yPW91FUA
— Mike Zimmelman (@MZimmel) January 17, 2024
End of an Era. We’ll always have the 2019 NBA championship. Thank you, @pskills43 for everything. #WeTheNorth, man. https://t.co/rjKK8DaY1R pic.twitter.com/HdEitndJ4m
— C. Christopher Chase Jr. (@thatchrischase) January 17, 2024
P – a champion ON the court but most prominent OFF….His impact through genuine service to the community will always be cherished and I hope he will still consider 🇨🇦 home for a long while.
🌶️ Stay Spicy 🌶️ https://t.co/hLZeNubMB6 pic.twitter.com/mfz6eO4b5C
— Amy Audibert (@AmyAudibert) January 17, 2024
It’s been a fun ride Pascal. Great player and nothing but respect. Go win one in Indiana. https://t.co/XuEo343KVy pic.twitter.com/HzO2THe0ZI
— Drew Deicher (@DeicherDrew) January 17, 2024
Bye Pascal Siakam.
Tremendous player. Tremendous Raptor.
He’s gonna continue doing incredible things in his NBA career.The Pacers are gonna be a problem. pic.twitter.com/FqGdWzLSyG
— Amit Mann (@Amit_Mann) January 17, 2024
Pascal Siakam was easily one of the coolest stories in Raptors history. Arguably one of the best development stories in basketball history. Will forever be amongst the best in franchise history. An NBA champion. The windex bottle laugh. A leader. All-NBA.
Indy got a good one.
— Esfandiar Baraheni (@JustEsBaraheni) January 17, 2024
