Pascal Siakam and the Indiana Pacers have reached an agreement on a four-year, $189.5 million maximum contract, as reported by Adrian Wojnarowski. Siakam, who joined the Pacers from the Toronto Raptors in January, played a crucial role in their journey to the Eastern Conference finals.
Under the NBA’s latest collective bargaining agreement, immediately following the NBA Finals, any player set to enter free agency or eligible for a contract extension in July can negotiate exclusively with their current team. They are prohibited from engaging in talks with other teams until the moratorium begins on June 30 at 6 p.m. ET, with contract signings permitted after the moratorium concludes on July 6 at 12:01 p.m. ET.
Effectively, Siakam can finalize his free agency status well before it formally begins. He has the liberty to secure a new contract with the Pacers now, a dozen days ahead of discussions with other potential suitors.
In a sense, Siakam’s free agency had been decided months earlier. Towards the end of his tenure with the Raptors, he and team president Masai Ujiri discussed his future, with the league widely aware of his eligibility for a starting salary of $42.3 million this offseason. The Raptors were hesitant to add such payroll, making a trade a requirement for any team pursuing him. Despite Siakam’s initial reluctance to leave the team that drafted him, reports from ESPN and The Athletic indicated his satisfaction with his new situation and his intention to re-sign. Indiana coach Rick Carlisle confirmed the team’s ongoing efforts to recruit Siakam since his arrival. The Pacers’ confidence in retaining him was evidenced by their earlier trade commitments.
During his 41 regular-season games with the Pacers, Siakam maintained averages of 21.3 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 3.7 assists in 31.8 minutes, with a 60.2% true shooting percentage and a 25.2% usage rate.
Siakam, a two-time All-Star and two-time All-NBA selection with the Raptors, expressed enthusiasm about his initial months in Indiana during his end-of-season press conference. “I’m incredibly thankful and happy to be in a place where I feel supported, valued, and important,” he remarked to the press. “As a player, that’s really all you can hope for.”
