NBA rumors: Pacers might be preparing for another trade after landing Pascal Siakam

The Indiana Pacers are looking like one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference after trading for Pascal Siakam. While the trade could be great for the franchise, Indiana is facing a potential logjam at the power forward spot. According to Michael Scotto of HoopHype, the Pacers won't have enough minutes behind Siakam for Obi Toppin, Jalen Smith, and rookie Jarace Walker.

The team is also still dealing with Buddy Hield's lack of an extension which has forced the squad to "entertain" trade offers for the veteran. Indiana has to get rid of this logjam soon since Obi Toppin is a free agent after this season and Jalen Smith has a player option that could allow him to be a free agent as well. Jarace Walker hasn't been able to get consistent minutes as he needs to develop as a rookie.

Walker has a lot of potential but will clearly make mistakes that could end the season quicker than the team's potential in the playoffs. With all of this in mind, the Pacers will most likely make some more trades before the deadline.

What kind of deals can the Pacers make before the trade deadline?

To be quite honest, the Pacers can probably make a difference-making trade or two before the deadline with the type of assets that the team has. The franchise can either shop for upgrades now or get draft picks to help the squad build around Siakam in the future. It would be smart to wait until the team is on the court and the weaknesses of the squad are revealed.

This could also be used as insurance if Siakam ends up leaving this offseason. While all signals seem to point that the All-Star will return to the franchise on a long-term deal this offseason, things can change. While the Pacers may try to look for upgrades now, it would be probably wise for the team to wait until the offseason. No matter what happens, the Pacers will probably be mentioned in trade rumors until the trade deadline.