Bleacher Report has Pascal Siakam slotted as the NBA’s 19th-best scorer heading into the 2026-27 season, putting the Pacers forward just ahead of Orlando’s Paolo Banchero and just behind Denver guard Jamal Murray.
The ranking arrives with Siakam in a very different place than when he first entered the league. His career numbers sit at 18.5 points per game in the regular season and 18.1 in the playoffs, but the most recent stretch shows the version Indiana has come to lean on. Over the last three years, he has averaged 21.8 points while posting a 58.8 TS%, 36.6% from three, 42.5% on mid-range attempts, 73.6% at the rim and 59.6% of his baskets assisted.
Indiana needed that production last season. With Tyrese Haliburton out, the Pacers managed only 19 wins, yet Siakam still delivered, averaging 24.0 points, 6.6 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game while earning his fourth All-Star nod.
Across his time with Toronto and Indiana, Siakam now owns career averages of 18.5 points, 6.6 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game. His résumé already includes a 2019 title with the Raptors, and he also helped push the Pacers to the 2025 NBA Finals, where the Oklahoma City Thunder prevailed in seven games.
Indiana’s roster picture is changing around him, too. The Pacers added Ivica Zubac from the Los Angeles Clippers at last season’s trade deadline, and he is set to join Haliburton and Siakam as the team’s “Big 3” in 2026-27. But that move came with a steep price: Indiana lost its first-round pick in the 2026 draft because of the deal.
The protections on that pick mattered. The Pacers had to land in the top four to keep it after sending it to the Clippers, and the transaction included two first-rounders overall - one in 2029, plus this year’s first if it fell outside the top four or a 2031 unprotected first-rounder if it did not. Because the Washington Wizards moved up in the lottery, Indiana finished fifth and the pick transferred to Los Angeles.
That outcome shut the door on a chance at players such as AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson, Cameron Boozer or Caleb Wilson, leaving the Pacers hoping Zubac produces at an All-Star level alongside Siakam and Haliburton.
Indiana opens the 2026-27 regular season on October 21 against the New Orleans Pelicans. The Pacers also brought in Larry Nance Jr., Kelly Oubre Jr. and Braden Smith this offseason.
Siakam has said he wants to spends the rest of his NBA career with the Pacers, and the next chapter starts with that opener on October 21.
In Other News...
Ivica Zubac Is Quieting One Big Pacers Concern Fast
Ivica Zubac has wasted little time showing why the Pacers wanted him in the first place. Since arriving from the Clippers, he has looked steady in preseason action, giving Indiana the kind of physical presence it has been missing with work on the glass, solid screening and enough scoring to keep defenses honest. For a team trying to sort out roles and build around its core, that kind of dependable frontcourt play can settle a lot of early questions.
What stands out most is how naturally Zubac fits as a third option in the Pacers structure. He does not need the ball forced to him to make an impact, and his versatile style gives the offense another reliable layer without taking anything away from the main creators. Indiana still has bigger tests ahead, but early returns suggest one of its bigger preseason concerns may already be easing. [Read more 🡒]
Ben Sheppards Rough Night Still Said Something Important About His Pacers Role
Ben Sheppards box score against the Oklahoma City Thunder did not tell a pretty story. In 19 minutes, he missed all of his shots, finished without an assist and grabbed three rebounds, the sort of line that can make a quiet night look even quieter if you only glance at the numbers.
Still, the Pacers had reason to value what he brought anyway. Sheppard contributed defensively and finished plus-7 while on the floor, a reminder that his place in the rotation is tied less to scoring bursts and more to the kind of two-way, stopper-type minutes Indiana can lean on when it wants energy and discipline on that end of the court. [Read more 🡒]
Tyrese Haliburton Gave Pacers Fans An Early Reason To Believe
Tyrese Haliburtons return offered the kind of preseason reminder Pacers fans were probably looking for after he sat out the previous game. In Indianas third exhibition against Oklahoma City, a 114-112 overtime loss, Haliburton looked sharp enough to make the result feel secondary, scoring 24 points on 9-of-14 shooting while also contributing three assists, three rebounds and two blocks.
There were still some rough edges, including four turnovers, but the bigger takeaway was how comfortably he appeared to be running the offense again. The Pacers also got a strong night from Ivica Zubac, who posted 13 points, 13 rebounds, five assists and three steals in just 18 minutes, giving Indiana a few more encouraging signs even as the game slipped away late. [Read more 🡒]