The Indiana Pacers made a bold move on Wednesday when they agreed to acquire two-time All-Star forward Pascal Siakam from the Toronto Raptors for Bruce Brown Jr., Jordan Nwora, and three first-round draft picks.
While Pacers fans shouldn’t be making plans for a championship parade down the streets of Indianapolis just yet, they should be thrilled with this trade, as it gives their team a legitimate second scoring option alongside Tyrese Haliburton.
Turner Sports personality Charles Barkley says this was a great trade for the Pacers, and he even said that the only team they should truly be concerned about is the Boston Celtics.
In fact, Barkley said he could see the Pacers getting as high as second place in the Eastern Conference, via NBA on TNT.
“This ain’t a good trade for the Pacers, it’s a great trade.” 👀
Chuck’s reaction to Indiana’s trade for Pascal Siakam pic.twitter.com/JoeGRzqIMB
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) January 19, 2024
Indiana is currently 22-17 and is in seventh place in the East, and they have been doing it with offense.
They lead the NBA in several offensive categories, and by averaging an amazing 125.6 points a game, they’re on the threshold of breaking the record for the highest scoring average by a team, especially now that Siakam is arriving.
He’s averaging 22.2 points a game, and his ability to get into the paint and finish strong will make the Pacers’ superpower — offense — even more of a superpower.
At this point in their development, they’re one of the worst defensive teams in the league, but as Barkley pointed out, they could be a bad matchup for the Milwaukee Bucks, who are in second place in the East, come playoff time.
On the other hand, perhaps this trade for Siakam is more about the next couple of seasons than this one for Indiana.
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Myles Turner Has 5-Word Message On Pascal Siakam Trade