Pascal Siakam Traded: How Does it Affect the 76ers?
With just a few weeks to go until the trade deadline, the Philadelphia 76ers see another possible target come off the board. First, OG Anunoby was traded to the New York Knicks. Now, the Toronto Raptors have traded Pascal Siakam to the Indiana Pacers.
Per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Siakam was dealt in exchange for Bruce Brown, Jordan Nwora, and three first-round picks. The New Orleans Pelicans are also part of the deal, sending over young guard Kira Lewis Jr. to the Raptors as well.
The Sixers were consistently linked to Siakam in trade rumors. However, it never seemed like he was a top target. Seeing the sizable return the Raptors got for the former All-Star, it’s evident why Daryl Morey was not heavily pursuing this avenue.
Looking at this trade, it impacts the series in multiple ways. For starters, one of the biggest names on the market is now gone. On top of that, Siakam is staying in the Eastern Conference.
Right now, the Pacers don’t sit far behind the Sixers in the standings. Their 23-17 record is good for sixth place. Indiana is only three-and-a-half games behind the Sixers, who are currently in third place.
With Tyrese Haliburton sidelined due to injury, it might be some time before the new-look Pacers debut on the court. Even with the addition of Siakam, Indiana is not a contender-level team. However, another team in the middle class of the Eastern Conference just made a big upgrade.
Similar to when the Knicks traded for Anunoby, the Sixers don’t have to wait long before squaring off against the Pacers. They are scheduled to travel to Indiana on January 25th for the third and final meeting between these teams in the regular season. At the moment, the season series is tied at one apiece.
