Report: Indiana Pacers engaged in tough trade talks involving Bruce Brown, three first-round picks..

According to The Athletic’s Sam Amick and Shams Charania, the Indiana Pacers and Toronto Raptors are in trade talks over Raptors standout forward Pascal Siakam.

According to the source, Siakam would move to Indiana, and Bruce Brown and three first-round selections would be part of the package given to the Raptors. More pay from the Pacers would be required to make such a transaction lawful under the NBA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement.

The Pacers have been linked to Siakam several times in recent months, including various stories from Summer League in July. Those connections persisted into the current season.

Siakam is, on paper, an excellent match for the blue and gold. They hope to add size and forward depth, and having another excellent shot creator beside Tyrese Haliburton would significantly improve the club. Siakam, a two-time All-NBA forward, is averaging 22.2 points per game this season.

Indiana requires size and has lost on numerous occasions this season without it, including their most recent defeat. If they were to obtain Siakam, he would provide them with both of these benefits. The Pacers and Raptors allegedly discussed deals during the recent NBA G League Showcase.

Meanwhile, Brown inked a two-year, $45 million contract with Indiana in the offseason of 2023, with a team option. It’s a very tradeable deal, and Brown has improved recently after returning from injury with the Blue and Gold.

“I think Bruce prides himself on being a guy who is resourceful and can adjust to virtually any NBA situation,” Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle said last week.

He has Indiana’s highest cap hit right now. Brown averages 12.1 points and 4.7 rebounds per game for the Pacers.

“The Raptors have been engaged in discussions with several teams on a potential Siakam deal, but conversations with the Pacers have gained steam in recent days, those sources say,” according to the report. It adds that the two franchises have exchanged trade ideas.

Siakam’s contract expires at the end of this season, and he will be a free agent unless he signs a contract extension. That is a risk for any team that gets Siakam, including the Pacers, but if the reports are right, Indiana’s inclusion of three first-round selections in the deal could indicate that they are confidence in their ability to retain the talented forward.

The Pacers hold all of their own selections as well as some more, including one more first-round pick. It is currently unknown which picks are included in the agreement, as well as what safeguards are in place for those picks.

Because more pieces would be required in a trade, it’s possible that more would go from Toronto to Indiana, even if they’re extremely small.

“While the two sides have been described as being far along in the process, according to those sources, they have yet to finalize or agree to a deal,” according to the report.

The Pacers are 23-17, and the Raptors are 15-25.