X Reactions To Pacers' Blockbuster Pascal Siakam Trade

The Pacers have made arguably the biggest trade of the season to date, acquiring Pascal Siakam from the Raptors.

Let’s take a look at details of the Siakam trade as well as immediate X reactions:

Indiana Pacers receive:

Pascal Siakam
2024 Second-Round Pick (via Pelicans)*

*The Pelicans own two second-rounders—Chicago’s and their own. The Pacers will receive the least favorable of the two.

Toronto Raptors receive:

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Bruce Brown (Pacers)
Jordan Nwora (Pacers)
Kira Lewis (Pelicans)*
2024 First-Round Pick (Pacers)
2024 First-Round Pick (via Thunder)**
2026 First-Round Pick (Pacers)

*The Pacers acquired Kira Lewis from the Pelicans along with a second-round pick before inserting Lewis into the deal with the Raptors for Siakam.

**Pick will be the least favorable of the four first-rounders that OKC had rights to (Clippers, Rockets, Jazz, and their own 2024 selection).

New Orleans Pelicans receive:

Cash Considerations

Corresponding moves:

The Raptors have waived Christian Koloko.
The Pacers have waived James Johnson.

Immediate X Reactions

“I’m excited that Pascal is getting a first class opportunity with the Pacers, being paired with Tyrese and Myles and being coached by a great coach in Rick Carlisle. His future their looks bright there,” Pascal Siakam’s agent Todd Ramasar tells @andscape about trade to Pacers.
— Marc J. Spears (@MarcJSpears) January 17, 2024

Something to keep an eye on for the Pacers for the rest of the trade deadline: they now have a logjam in their frontcourt after acquiring Pascal Siakam, particularly at the four.

Perhaps they look to move one of their backup frontcourt players to rebalance their roster.
— Yossi Gozlan (@YossiGozlan) January 17, 2024

Re: the Pascal Siakam trade
🏀 Many things can be true at the same time:

- Siakam is really good.
- Indiana gave up three low-tier first-rounders, which isn't bad.
- The Pacers are going to be a tougher team to beat now.
- Indiana still isn't a true championship contender.
— Chris W. Crouse (@ChrisWCrouse) January 18, 2024

To add a little more color its not that Siakam is a bad player, its just what else could you get if you were willing to give up 3 1sts + Bruce Brown on a decent contract?
— Haralabos Voulgaris (@haralabob) January 17, 2024

A reporter started to ask Joe Mazzulla something about the Pascal Siakam trade. Mazzulla: "Save yourself the rest of the question. I don't really care."
— Jay King (@ByJayKing) January 17, 2024

The New Orleans/Toronto/Indiana trade are 2 separate trades:

1. Kira Lewis Jr. to Indiana

2. Lewis Jr., Brown, Nwora to Toronto for Siakam

Indiana is allowed to aggregate Lewis Jr. because they are under the salary cap.
— Bobby Marks (@BobbyMarks42) January 17, 2024

I kinda think the Spurs got more for Jakob Poeltl than the Raptors got for Pascal Siakam 🙃 Don’t think you could trade 2 late firsts and a 2026 first for what’ll be a top 10 pick. Yikes
— 𝐀𝐚𝐫𝐨𝐧 𝐑𝐨𝐬𝐞 (@AaronBenRose) January 18, 2024

Pascal Siakam Trade Believed To Be Evidence NBA's Goal Of 'Spurting Talent Around' In New CBA Working https://t.co/K5qCtYlH7p
— RealGM (@RealGM) January 17, 2024

"The Pacers do not want to trade Bennedict Mathurin or Jarace Walker... that's why you see these 3 first round draft picks. They feel pretty strongly about trying to re-sign [Pascal] Siakam as a free agent."

- Shams Charania

(via @RunItBackFDTV)pic.twitter.com/Op9Q3xUTNE
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) January 17, 2024

The Pacers held firm on Andrew Nembhard not being included in any trade negotiations to acquire Pascal Siakam, though the Raptors coveted him, per @michaelgrange (https://t.co/M0k5VXDtUm…).

Indiana had three untouchable prospects: Bennedict Mathurin, Jarace Walker and Nembhard. pic.twitter.com/IOKpPUyCeV
— Evan Sidery (@esidery) January 18, 2024

“I love him as a brother, it hurts but you just gotta keep moving on, keep fighting. The better is gonna come for him”

- Scottie on the Pascal Siakam trade pic.twitter.com/ZckpoHSWEQ
— ‏ً (@enra6ed) January 18, 2024

"'It's kind of hard to hear about it "- Chris Boucher on Raptors Pascal Siakam trade to Pacers.#Raptors #Pacers pic.twitter.com/QrNOX3BAAN
— Lindsay Dunn (@LindsayDunnTV) January 17, 2024

"Pascal Siakam, I think there's a mutual interest between him and the Pacers to being there long term."@ShamsCharania on the Pacers acquiring Pascal Siakam from the Raptors.

📺: https://t.co/wdT8I0ST8g pic.twitter.com/fdbH86Kfqs
— Run It Back (@RunItBackFDTV) January 18, 2024

Brian Windhorst thinks that the Sixers had the assests to trade for Pascal Siakam without giving up Tobias Harris. It just came down to Philadelphia wanting to give Siakam a max contract via @FirstTake

Thoughts🤔 pic.twitter.com/TB4YH4t4ve
— Jacob Moreno (@jmoreno76ers) January 18, 2024

The Indiana Pacers were at +22000 in mid November, and now, after the Pascal Siakam trade, they are at +6500 to make the NBA Finals.

Does the trade make the Pacers a dark-horse contender to reach the NBA Finals?

(Odds courtesy of @FDSportsbook.) pic.twitter.com/WY7F6eTiy3
— RingerNBA (@ringernba) January 17, 2024

Pascal Siakam has touched down in Indiana.

How far will the Pacers go this season? 🤔

(via pacers/IG) pic.twitter.com/7B3XRSz5aG
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) January 18, 2024