NBA Trade Rumors: Pascal Siakam, Bruce Brown Jr. Talks Active Between Pacers, Raptors

Toronto Raptors forward Pascal Siakam, whose name has been prominently featured in trade rumors, could be on his way to the Indiana Pacers.

Shams Charania and Sam Amick of The Athletic reported the latest Tuesday evening:

"The Raptors and Pacers are actively engaged in trade talks centered around two-time All-Star forward Pascal Siakam that would send him to Indiana for a package that includes Bruce Brown Jr., other salaries and three first-round draft picks, league sources tell The Athletic."

The Athletic duo added that "conversations with the Pacers have gained steam in recent days," further noting that "several back-and-forth proposals" have been discussed.

The Raptors and Pacers are reportedly "far along in the process," but the two teams have yet to finalize a trade.

Michael Grange of Sportsnet added his insight on the report:

The Siakam-Pacers connection isn't new, with reporters such as Grange, Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports and ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski linking the two in some fashion this month.

But now it appears that the Raptors and Pacers are engaging in serious discussions regarding Siakam, a two-time All-NBA forward and impending free agent who averaged 22.2 points, 6.3 rebounds and 4.9 assists per game last year.

The reported asking price is certainly a hefty one, as three first-round draft picks comprise an eye-opening package to start. That's without even considering Brown, the sixth man of last year's championship-winning Denver Nuggets team. He has fared well in Indiana, averaging 12.1 points on 47.5 percent shooting, 4.7 rebounds and 3.0 assists in his 33 starts.

Toronto is clearly in rebuilding mode as it sifts through a losing season. It has already dealt OG Anunoby to the New York Knicks in a five-player deal, and now Siakam could be gone as well.

Given the smoke around Siakam trade rumors, it seems inevitable he'll be playing elsewhere by the Feb. 8 trade deadline.

Plus, there's the fact that the Raps and Siakam are "nowhere close" on extension talks, per Wojnarowski on NBA Today (h/t RealGM), further adding fuel to the fire that Toronto could offload him to get any sort of return before he potentially enters free agency.

Meanwhile, the Pacers obviously are in win-now mode, especially with superstar guard Tyrese Haliburton enjoying a breakout season that could well end with an All-NBA team appearance.

Indiana is sixth in the East at 23-17, and the team sports the league's top scoring offense. Adding Siakam would make the Pacers even more dangerous as they attempt to reach greater heights.