NBA Rumors: Pascal Siakam to Sign $189.5M Max Pacers Contract After January Trade
Pascal Siakam is reportedly staying in Indiana for a long time.
ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported Wednesday that the Pacers intend to sign Siakam to a new four-year, $189.5 million maximum contract when the NBA free-agency moratorium ends on July 6.
The news comes as no surprise after Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium reported in May that re-signing Siakam was the Pacers' "biggest priority" of the offseason.
The Pacers acquired Siakam from the Toronto Raptors in January in exchange for Bruce Brown, Jordan Nwora and three first-round picks.
Wojnarowski reported at the time of the trade that Siakam was "excited about the deal to the Pacers and expected to be eager to work out a new contract with the franchise this summer."
Wojnarowski added during an appearance on ESPN's NBA Countdown that the Pacers were confident in signing Siakam to an extension following the deal.
Siakam's addition helped the franchise secure a playoff berth for the first time since the 2019-20 campaign. Indiana finished the regular season sixth in the Eastern Conference with a 47-35 record and went on to reach the Eastern Conference Finals, falling to the Boston Celtics in four games.
Siakam was solid during his short stint with the Pacers last season, averaging 21.3 points, 7.8 rebounds and 3.7 assists in 41 games while shooting 54.9 percent from the floor and 38.6 percent from deep.
He was just as good during the team's playoff run, averaging 21.6 points, 7.5 rebounds and 3.8 assists in 17 games while shooting 54.1 percent from the floor.
Prior to the deal, the 30-year-old had spent the first seven-and-a-half seasons of his career in Toronto, helping the franchise capture an NBA title in 2019, in addition to securing two All-Star selections.
Now that he's reportedly staying in Indiana, Siakam will be a focal point of the Pacers' rotation alongside Tyrese Haliburton and Myles Turner for the foreseeable future. That will come with higher expectations for the franchise, such as contending for a top-three seed in the Eastern Conference alongside the likes of Boston and the Milwaukee Bucks.
