Pascal Siakam deserves the money he wants from the Pacers

Since coming over from Toronto, Siakam had stepped in as the other star to Tyrese Haliburton that the Pacers had been looking for. This duo, along with the supporting cast were one step away from a Finals appearance when many people had counted the Pacers out.

Siakam averaged 21.3 points per game, 7.8 rebounds and 3.7 assists as a member of the Pacers during the regular season. The Pacers are preparing to offer him a max contract which is well deserved as he was very important in the playoffs run, especially against Milwaukee in round one.

Obi Toppin and Jalen Smith are two other players that are entering free agency this year. Smith is on a player option and Toppin fits the system perfectly and can complement both Haliburton and T.J. McConnell as an alley-oop threat. Smith may not decide to opt into his contract, and probably could end up going to a team whose rotation he will fit in but Toppin should be able to rejoin on a friendly contract.

This is a very important free agency Summer, as anything that happens here can lead to a make-or-break season for next year. With the young team and star power that the Pacers have, it will be important to see what they do this offseason.

Siakam is going to be offered a lot of money to keep his game up. Based on the play we saw in the playoffs from him, he deserves all of that money. His game should also age well since he's a master in the midrange. While his three-point shooting needs a bit of work, he's good enough to be a threat from outside.

Having length on the wing is the biggest reason why the Pacers traded for him. He's a top-30 player in the league and the best way for Indiana to acquire those kinds of players is through a trade. Now, they need to reward him.