The Indiana Pacers traded for Pascal Siakam midway through the season because they needed some length at the forward position. Obi Toppin, who had been starting before Siakam arrived, just wasn't good enough defensively in order to sustain what the Pacers needed.
Siakam was a good player for the Pacers and is the second star that they need to pair with Tyrese Haliburton. Getting someone like him who is going to re-sign was big for Indiana. His length on defense cannot be understated for a team that isn't very good defensively.
With Siakam coming back, the starting lineup for the Pacers looks set to return as it was this season. That is unless they decide to pursue a different starting forward in free agency or via trade. That could mean that one player might be on the move this offseason.
Pascal Siakam staying might mean Obi Toppin is leaving the Pacers
Obi Toppin is a free agent and had by far the best year of his career. With him hitting a career-high in points and in three-point shooting percentage, he might want to capitalize on that and look for a big deal. He's definitely going to be more expensive than he was this past year for Indiana.
Can the Pacers keep him at a reasonable number? Maybe. It depends on how they want the rest of their cap sheet to look like. Andrew Nembhard is due for an extension, as is T.J. McConnell. We know Siakam is going to get max money and Tyrese Haliburton's supermax kicks in next season.
The Pacers loved having Toppin in Indy this year. He was a great teammate and was a fantastic offensive player off the bench. He's one of the big reasons why Indiana had the highest-scoring bench in the NBA. If they can bring him back at a number that makes sense, they'll do it.
Toppin's season makes it unlikely that a reasonable number will be reached between these two. I don't blame Toppin for that at all. he should want to capitalize on his success. He also might want to go somewhere he can start too.