A contract worth $247 million over five years, or $191 million over four years. This is the most the Pacers can offer Pascal Siakam to preserve it. In three months, the former NBA champion conquered the entire Indianapolis franchise, to the point of finishing as the team's top scorer and rebounder. Even if the person concerned does not want to make any promises, extending it will be the priority of the summer.
“The first very important step is to start, seriously, to convince Pascal Siakam to extend”, replied Rick Carlisle when asked what the Pacers are going to do this summer. “This will start today with the end-of-year interviews. He's a great player. He was great for us. His arrival at the end of January was really a key element that allowed us not only to make the playoffs, but also to advance in the playoffs. This is something that cannot be taken for granted. You get a player back, he has good experience, but you have to let him know how important he is. We've been doing it from the beginning, but today we're more about telling him he's our man. »
The missing piece of the puzzle
According to The Athletic, the Pacers are ready to offer him the maximum, which is to devote 30% of their payroll to him. Which would allow him to receive $42 million for the first year of his contract. On the management side, we remain more cautious about the figures, but we assure that the two parties are made to get along.
“I don’t want to dwell too much on the details of the contract,” warns GM Chad Buchanan. “But Pascal was an excellent choice. It's obvious that we've been targeting it and liking it for a long time. He has been a great piece of the puzzle for us and has had a major impact on the team, on the pitch and in the locker room. He adapts perfectly to the team. His personality, his leadership, his experience have been very valuable for many of our young players. He also had a good playoffs and he seems to be happy here. We are obviously happy with him and we hope this agreement works in the long term for both parties. »
“He knows I’m going to text him and call him non-stop.”
Finally, there is Tyrese Haliburton. New franchise player of the Pacers, the leader has reached a huge milestone this season, and he wants Pascal Siakam to stay by his side to aim even higher.
“It’s very important to keep Pascal. He's just a great signing for our team and an extraordinary player. He knows I'm going to text him and call him non-stop.” announces the playmaker. “We would all like Pascal to come back. That's really the goal. I can't speak for the player, but I'm going to do everything in my power to make sure Pascal Siakam wears a Pacers jersey next year. I can't wait to begin the recruiting process and have him as a teammate for the near future and hopefully for the rest of his career. »
