Pascal Siakam isn’t letting extension chatter become a distraction.
At Pacers media day, the 2019 NBA champion said he isn’t worried about talks on a possible extension with Indiana, noting that his agents take care of that side of things. The Pacers are eligible to sign him to a $207 million extension.
Siakam is already locked into a major deal. He signed a four-year, $188 million contract with Indiana in 2024, and his salary is set at $48,924,624 this season before jumping to $52,298,736 in 2027-28.
On the floor, the Pacers needed Siakam to carry plenty of the load last season. With Tyrese Haliburton out, Indiana won only 19 games, but Siakam still produced at a high level. He averaged 24.0 points, 6.6 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game and earned his fourth All-Star selection.
Across his time with Toronto and Indiana, Siakam now holds career averages of 18.5 points, 6.6 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game. He won the 2019 title with the Raptors and later helped the Pacers reach the 2025 NBA Finals, where the Oklahoma City Thunder won in seven games.
Indiana’s future core is already taking shape around Siakam, Haliburton and Ivica Zubac, who the Pacers acquired from the Los Angeles Clippers at last season’s trade deadline. That trio is expected to be the team’s “Big 3” in 2026-27.
But that deal carried real consequences. Indiana lost its first-round pick in the 2026 draft because of the Zubac trade.
The Pacers needed to finish in the top four to keep the pick after sending it to the Clippers with protections attached. The package included two first-rounders: one in 2029 and either this year’s first if it landed outside the top four or a 2031 unprotected first-rounder if it did not.
When the Washington Wizards jumped up in the lottery, Indiana slid to fifth, and the pick went to the Clippers.
That meant the Pacers missed out on a chance to draft AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson, Cameron Boozer or Caleb Wilson. Instead, they’re banking on Zubac becoming an All-Star-level piece alongside Siakam and Haliburton.
Indiana opens the 2026-27 regular season on October 21 against the New Orleans Pelicans. The Pacers also added Larry Nance Jr., Kelly Oubre Jr. and Braden Smith this offseason.
Siakam has said he wants to spend the rest of his NBA career with the Pacers. Only time will tell if that happens.
In Other News...
Pacers Camp Put Jarace Walker's Biggest Opportunity Into Focus
Indianas training camp opened with the usual early-season mix of health updates and role sorting, and for the Pacers, both mattered right away. Larry Nance Jr. is working back from a mild hamstring injury and is limited in practice, while Johnny Furphy is still rehabbing from a torn ACL. At the same time, Tyrese Haliburton sounded comfortable with where he is physically, saying he feels good about his conditioning and the way his workload is being managed as camp gets underway.
For Jarace Walker, the bigger story is less about recovery and more about opportunity. He made it clear he is focusing on the team concept, his role and the wins that come with it as he tries to carve out a steady place in the rotation. With camp offering a fresh reset and the Pacers sorting through available minutes, Walkers chance to turn that focus into something more tangible is front and center. [Read more 🡒]
Jarace Walker Faces A Make-Or-Break Pacers Season For Minutes
Jarace Walker enters the season in a different place than the one most expected when Indiana took him eighth overall in 2023. His role has shrunk since then, especially after the Pacers brought in Pascal Siakam, and the conversation around Walker has shifted from long-term upside to something more immediate: how he earns steady minutes on a team that needs reliable rotation pieces now.
At media day, Walker made it clear he understands the assignment. He talked about leaning into rebounding and the little things that help a team win, which is the sort of approach that can keep him on the floor even if the path to a bigger role is crowded. For Walker, this season may be less about living up to draft-night expectations and more about proving he can carve out a place as a useful piece before the opportunities dry up. [Read more 🡒]
Larry Nance Jr. Sees Something In The Pacers Fans Will Love
Larry Nance Jr. didnt sound like a player easing into a new situation so much as one stepping into a team that already matches his basketball instincts. After joining the Pacers, he pointed to Indianas up-tempo approach and the leagues growing emphasis on depth and conditioning as reasons the fit made sense, saying the team is ahead of the curve. He also praised the style Rick Carlisle has established, which should resonate with a fan base that has grown used to seeing this group try to push the pace.
For Nance, the move also comes with a personal layer after working back from injuries and wanting to return to a high-energy brand of basketball. He said the modern NBA demands a larger rotation to keep up with how fast the game is played, and Indiana seems built around that idea. The part Pacers fans will want to watch now is how quickly he settles back into that rhythm and where he fits in a lineup that already leans into those demands. [Read more 🡒]