Pascal

Siakam

Siakam can sign the deal on July 6 when the free agency moratorium period ends. It’s not a surprising update based on earlier reports indicating he’d return to Indiana on a long-term deal.

According to Agness, “Both sides know how each other feels [and] want the partnership to continue.” It’s not surprising news considering Siakam’s trade to Indiana at the end of his expiring deal. The belief was that he would stick around for the long haul after the Pacers traded for him, and he’ll be back with Tyrese Haliburton, Myles Turner and the rest of Indiana’s young core as the team looks to replicate the success it found in an Eastern Conference Finals run this season. Siakam averaged 21.3 points on 54.9% shooting, 7.8 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.0 triples across 41 appearances for the Pacers and finished 77th in per-game fantasy value in that span. He’ll be worth a look in the middle rounds of 2024-25 fantasy drafts.

Having scored at least 22 points in the first three games of the Eastern Conference Finals, Siakam fell three points shy of that number in Game 4. Overall, Spicy P had a good series, averaging 23.3 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 4.5 assists per game while shooting 55.3% from the foul line. Siakam being traded to Indiana rejuvenated him this season, with the former Raptor fitting in well with his new teammates. While he did finish ranked outside the top 75 in 9-cat formats, Siakam has proven in the past that he’s capable of more. He’ll be an unrestricted free agent this summer, and the Pacers’ priority will be to re-sign Spicy P.

The players who were supposed to step up in Tyrese Haliburton’s absence did so, with Siakam being one of four Pacers to score at least 22 points in Game 3. The issue was that no one else scored more than four points as Indiana let an 18-point lead slip away. Siakam could be in a similar spot on Monday for Game 4, as Haliburton (hamstring) isn’t a lock to be available. Regardless of the Pacers point guard’s health, Siakam will be heavily involved in the offensive attack as a scorer and playmaker.

Siakam did everything he could to keep Indiana around in this game, but it didn’t end up being enough. Siakam has played really well recently and has now scored at least 20 points in five straight games, which includes the first two games of this series. That wasn’t enough to get a win in Boston, but with Tyrese Haliburton dealing with a left hamstring injury, Siakam may be forced to take on even more responsibility moving forward. This was his highest scoring performance of this postseason, and he’ll need to do even more moving forward.

In the final games of the Pacers’ second-round series win over New York, Siakam did most of his damage in the mid-range and restricted areas, which was also the case on Tuesday. He missed both 3-point attempts and did not attempt a free throw. In addition to the turnovers, of which Indiana had 21, the charity stripe is where the Pacers lost Game 1, as Boston outscored them by a 24-9 margin. Siakam isn’t elite at getting to the line, as he averaged 4.2 attempts per game with the Pacers during the regular season (and 4.0 per game against New York). But he and the Pacers will have to do a better job of getting those opportunities to score when the clock is stopped, as Boston leads all playoff teams in free throws made differential (+5.8). Indiana is dead last at minus-6.0.

Siakam was one of the few players on the Pacers roster with prior experience in a Game 7, and his leadership helped set the stage for Sunday’s 130-109 victory. The brief return of OG Anunoby did not impact Spicy P, as the Knicks forward could barely move due to his strained hamstring. Siakam was once again efficient offensively, hitting a few 3-pointers while doing most of his damage in the mid-range. Next up for the Pacers are the Celtics, with Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals scheduled for Tuesday night.

After getting blown out in Game 5, the Pacers returned the favor in Game 6 to keep their season alive. And Siakam was a significant part of that. Spicy P shot 11-of-19 from two, doing a lot of his damage in the mid-range. He led six Pacers in double figures with 25 points, and all five starters grabbed at least six rebounds. Siakam and the Pacers will need a similar effort in Game 7 on Sunday, as they are 1-5 on the road this postseason.

The good news for the Pacers is that Siakam appears to have gotten over his case of the “yips” at the foul line, making six of his seven attempts in Game 5. Spicy P had a solid night overall, but it didn’t mean much, with the Knicks grabbing a staggering 20 offensive rebounds. Siakam has scored 19 points or more in three of the five games in this series, and that’s the level of production they need from him consistently. Snapping his recent slumps from three and the foul line certainly helps. Game 6 is on Friday, with the Pacers needing a win to keep their season alive.

Siakam’s stat line was modest, but this was due to the nature of Game 4 more than anything else. With the Pacers leading 34-14 after the first quarter, Rick Carlisle had little reason to push his starters on Sunday afternoon. As a result, Spicy P only played 22 minutes and did not have much trouble getting to his spots when on the floor. With OG Anunoby unlikely to be available for Game 5 on Tuesday, dealing with Siakam is another issue for the Knicks. Indiana’s win on Sunday tied the series at two games each.