NBA Rumors: 5 best trade destinations for Pascal Siakam

No. 1 Pascal Siakam trade destination: Indiana Pacers

Not many teams have had a better offseason than the Indiana Pacers. Tyrese Haliburton signed his max extension. Kevin Pritchard and the front office pried Bruce Brown away from Denver. Jarace Walker fell into the Pacers’ lap with the No. 8 pick. It has been win, after win, after win.

What better way to close a successful offseason than with a blockbuster trade? Siakam has been connected to the Pacers, who spent all summer looking to bolster the frontcourt rotation around Myles Turner. Well, Siakam more than bolsters it. He elevates Indiana into the realm of legitimate postseason contenders in the East.

Siakam is a proven winner and the perfect offensive fit for Indiana’s current roster. Haliburton is the league’s preeminent set-up man; Siakam loves to run the floor and attack off the catch. Turner can stretch the floor at the five spot. Brown is an active cutter and connector of dots who could orbit Siakam as he works from the elbow. Buddy Hield is the best spot-up shooter in the East.

The Pacers are closer to contention than a lot of NBA fans realize. The team was winning games early last season before injuries derailed the campaign. Rick Carlisle is a historic winner who understands how to squeeze wins out of any group. The Pacers wouldn’t have many mismatched parts in this case, and there aren’t many more appealing trade packages than the one Indiana can build around a player like Jarace Walker or Bennedict Mathurin.

Fit-wise, this feels like Siakam’s ideal landing spot. The Pacers probably wouldn’t crack the Milwaukee-Boston-Philadelphia tier of contention, but Indiana would very much have the firepower to claim a top-five seed and catch the attention of teams the league over.