Pascal Siakam contract details: Will Pacers investment pay off long term?

After several weeks of being heavily linked to one another, the Indiana Pacers and Toronto Raptors were finally able to come to terms on a trade that sends All-NBA wing Pascal Siakam to Indiana to play alongside superstar floor general Tyrese Haliburton.

With Siakam being on an expiring $37.9 million contract, will the Pacers' investment pay off in the long run?

Pascal Siakam is “excited” about joining the Indiana Pacers

According to ESPN’s Senior NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski, Siakam is “excited about the deal to the Pacers and expected to be eager to work out a new contract with the franchise this summer.” 

Wojnarowski’s comment should be viewed as an encouraging sign for the Pacers and their fanbase after previous reports suggested that Siakam would not give a long-term commitment to any team that isn’t the Raptors. Whatever it may be that caused Siakam to change his tune, Indiana now has the first crack at making a pitch to convince him to sign a multi-year contract.

Per ESPN’s NBA front office insider, Bobby Marks, Indiana obtained Siakam’s bird rights by sending three first-round picks, Bruce Brown, and Jordan Nwora to Toronto, meaning they can sign him to a five-year contract worth up to $247 million in July. Marks also points out that Siakam, also known as “Spicy P,” is no longer eligible to receive a supermax contract due to the trade.

Assuming extension talks with Siakam go smoothly, the Pacers giving up a massive haul to acquire him instead of waiting to pursue him via free agency should pay off for the franchise. Indiana now boasts one of the most intriguing starting lineups in the Eastern Conference and should be a force to be reckoned with for the foreseeable future with their new dynamic duo of All-Stars.