Grade the Trade: Pacers land Pascal Siakam in prehistoric proposal

Would the Pacers make this deal?

Pascal Siakam is a winning player, a guy who has no egregious weaknesses and who plays hard and defends, making him a potential fit with any team. Even so, his shaky shooting makes him a much better fit on some teams than others, and the Pacers are one of those teams.

Siakam’s one of the league’s better transition players, with underrated passing ability and his patented spin move ready to send opposing defenders right out of the play. He and Jarace Walker share some stylistic similarities, but their passing will help them share the court together.

Siakam is also an excellent fit with Myles Turner, and against many frontcourts Siakam’s strength could let him match up with the opposing center, freeing Turner up to roam as a shot-blocker. Teams like the Boston Celtics have used this inversion to great effect in recent years.

Adding a player of Siakam’s caliber without sacrificing any of their key players is a win; the question therefore becomes whether they can expect Siakam to re-sign. If they get any indication that he would stick around, they should pull the trigger and add a former dinosaur to an up-and-coming group ready to cause chaos.

Grade: A-