A fascinating trade proposal has the Indiana Pacers beginning a giant retool by sending superstar Pascal Siakam to a Western Conference heavyweight in a blockbuster move that would alter the NBA landscape.
Pascal Siakam helped the Pacers to a surprise trip to the Eastern Conference Finals last season, but they were swept by the eventual NBA champion Boston Celtics. It was still supposed to be a big step forward for the Pacers, who wound up giving Siakam a four-year extension worth $189.5 million.
The Pacers were flirting with a .500 mark for the first two months of the season before kicking off the new year with a six-game win streak. Now at 23-19, the Pacers are starting to resemble last year’s high-scoring juggernaut.
But if the Pacers start to struggle with consistency again leading up to the trade deadline, could a significant move be on the way?
Ryan Stano of Sports Illustrated proposed a monster trade idea that would see them trade Siakam to the Memphis Grizzlies in exchange for star guard Desmond Bane and veteran Luke Kennard.
“This trade would provide Indiana with two guys who can shoot the three-point shot highly effectively from the shooting guard position. Bane is also someone who can score from anywhere on the court. He’s also a solid perimeter defender who has a very strong base.
Kennard is someone who could come off the bench and make a lot of threes in a hurry. If Toppin were to move into the starting lineup after shipping Siakam off, that would leave them with very little three-point shooting coming off the bench. Kennard would give them that in this scenario.”
Pascal Siakam beating the shot clock with a turnaround jumper to put us up 9 with less than two minutes remaining is tonight's Shot of the Game 🚨 pic.twitter.com/uV0znHKcRr
— Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) January 17, 2025
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The Grizzlies sit third in the Western Conference with a 26-15 record, led by the high-scoring trio of Bane, Jaren Jackson Jr. and Ja Morant. But if they swapped Bane and Kennard for the 2019 NBA champion, the Grizzlies would immediately emerge as the team to beat this year.
Pascal Siakam’s Big-Game Experience Could Push Grizzlies Over the Top
Siakam played a significant role on the Toronto Raptors’ rise to prominence in the last half of the 2010s. Without his efforts, they wouldn’t have won the 2019 NBA championship or come within a game of returning to the 2020 Eastern Conference Finals.
The Pacers wouldn’t have made the final four last year without the performance of the two-time All-Star, either. If Memphis could somehow pull off a trade for Siakam, it would push them that much closer to their first NBA Finals appearance, and perhaps a championship.
