Pascal Siakam isn’t hiding how he feels about Indiana.
The Pacers forward said he’s fully bought in after another strong season in Indianapolis, and his words made the commitment sound pretty clear. “I'm super proud to be a Pacer and the stuff that we are able to do. We have great aspirations and I hope to continue to achieve more in my career.”
Siakam still has two years left on his deal, and Indiana can offer him a $207 million extension. He signed a four-year, $188 million contract with the Pacers in 2024, and that agreement will pay him $48,924,624 next season followed by $52,298,736 in 2027-28.
On the floor, Siakam kept delivering even as the Pacers stumbled without Tyrese Haliburton. Indiana won just 19 games this past season, but Siakam put together an All-Star level year, averaging 24.0 points, 6.6 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game while earning his fourth All-Star selection.
The numbers on his career line are just as steady: 18.5 points, 6.6 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game across his time with Toronto and Indiana. Siakam already owns a 2019 championship with the Raptors, and he helped push the Pacers to the 2025 NBA Finals before Oklahoma City won the series in seven games.
Indiana’s offseason picture also changed at the trade deadline, when the team acquired Ivica Zubac from the Los Angeles Clippers. That move gives the Pacers a projected “Big 3” next season with Zubac, Haliburton and Siakam.
But the price was steep. Indiana lost its first-round pick in the 2026 draft because of the Zubac deal.
The Pacers had to land in the top four to keep the selection after sending it to the Clippers with protections attached. The trade included two first-round picks headed to Los Angeles: one in 2029 and either this year’s first-rounder if it landed outside the top four or a 2031 unprotected first-rounder if it did not.
Once the Washington Wizards jumped up in the lottery, Indiana slid to fifth and the pick was gone.
That meant the Pacers passed on a chance to draft AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson, Cameron Boozer or Caleb Wilson. Now the bet is on Zubac to perform like an All-Star next to Siakam and Haliburton.
In Other News...
Pacers GM Sends Clear Message On Braden Smith After Rough Summer League
Braden Smiths Summer League stint did not overwhelm anyone with production, but the Pacers left it viewing the rookie through a wider lens. General manager Chad Buchanan pointed to Smiths ability to create shots for teammates as a real positive, even if the numbers themselves were modest, and said the learning curve at point guard can be steep for first-year players trying to process the game at NBA speed.
Smiths next steps will come with the Noblesville Boom, where Indiana expects the development work to continue. Buchanans message was less about a finished product and more about a young guard still learning how physical he needs to be and how confident he can grow as a scorer, a process the Pacers seem willing to let unfold in the G League. [Read more 🡒]
Rick Carlisle Gets Real About How Much Longer He Wants To Coach
Rick Carlisle is headed into his 38th NBA coaching season with the kind of resume that usually prompts reflection, and he has plenty of it. He recently moved past 1,000 career wins while continuing to lead the Pacers, a franchise he knows well from his previous stint in Indiana, along with stops in Detroit and Dallas. In a conversation with Draymond Green, Carlisle looked back on that path and the long arc of a career that has kept him in the league through different eras and expectations.
What stood out most was how little mystery there is about what keeps him going. Carlisle spoke warmly about his current setup in Indiana, praising both the coaching staff and the front office, and made clear he intends to keep coaching as long as he still enjoys the work. For the Pacers, that leaves the usual questions about longevity and contract status hanging in the background, even as Carlisle continues to operate with the steady, seasoned presence that has defined so much of his career. [Read more 🡒]