The Toronto Raptors are reportedly in the final stages of a trade that would see the team offload two-time all-star forward Pascal Siakam, one of the last remaining ties to the team’s 2019 NBA championship.
Indiana will reportedly trade three first-round picks to Toronto — two in 2024 and one in 2026 — as well as forwards Bruce Brown Jr., 27, and Jordan Nwora, 25, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.
The pair of 2024 first-round picks will be Indiana’s and the worst out of Utah, Houston, Los Angeles (Clippers) or Oklahoma City. The 2026 first-round pick will be Indiana’s own.
Wojnarowski added that the New Orleans Pelicans would also be moving 22-year-old guard Kira Lewis to the Raptors and sending a 2024 second-round pick to Indiana as a third team in the trade.
The Athletic reported Tuesday night the Pacers and Raptors were closing a deal a deal for Siakam, who is in the final year of a four-year, $136.9 million US deal. He will make $37.8 million this season.
“I’m excited that Pascal is getting a first-class opportunity with the Pacers, being paired with Tyrese [Haliburton] and Myles [Turner] and being coached by a great coach in Rick Carlisle. His future their looks bright there,” Siakam’s agent Todd Ramasar stated.
Siakam, 29, joined the Raptors in 2016 as the 27th overall pick.
The Cameroonian power forward has averaged 17.4 points per game, 6.5 rebounds, and 3.6 assists since, spending his entire eight-year career with the franchise.
In addition to helping the Raptors to the franchise’s first championship and being selected a 2020 and 2023 all-star, Siakam earned the league’s most improved player award in 2019, as well as All-NBA second team honors in 2020 and All-NBA third team in 2022.
The blockbuster is yet another major move for a Raptors team undergoing alterations amid a difficult couple of seasons.
Toronto sent longtime wing OG Anunoby, forward Precious Achiuwa and guard Malachi Flynn to the New York Knicks for Canadian forward RJ Barrett and guard Immanuel Quickley on Dec. 30.
Brown Jr. is enjoying a bump in production this season, averaging 12.1 points, three assists, and 4.7 rebounds, bettering some of his career averages of 8.8 points, 2.5 assists, and 4.3 rebounds. The Raptors will be his fourth team in six seasons in the league.
Nwora, used exclusively as a reserve this season, is averaging 5.2 points, one assist and 1.8 rebounds.
Lewis, the 13th overall pick in the 2020 draft, is averaging 2.9 points, 1.2 assists and 0.9 rebounds.
