The Indiana Pacers have officially brought back Pascal Siakam in free agency. The news was announced quite a long ago, but Indiana just officially announced it on Monday. Siakam is staying in Indy on a four-year max deal. He got his own press conference to announce the signing.
We knew Siakam was coming back, so this isn't necessarily news. It was strange that it took two days after the moratorium lifted to officially announce the signing, but that's neither here nor there. He's in Indy for the foreseeable future and wants to keep building with this Pacers team.
Siakam is now one of the core players on this team. His presence will be key for this team to make that leap that they are trying to make to the NBA Finals. His signing isn't just good for Indiana because of how good he is. It's good because of how good he makes others on the team too.
There are three players who will benefit the most from him being in Indiana next season. They all are players who are helped by Siakam's presence on the floor. All of them played better when he became part of the team last season. The first of those players is the other most important player on the team.
1. Tyrese Haliburton
Tyrese Haliburton is the NBA's best passer. He led the league in assists this year and makes everyone around him better. His pass-first mentality is what makes him so special when comparing him to other superstars. Haliburton wants to make everyone else involved in the game before he gets going.
Adding Siakam gave him a pick-and-roll partner that he didn't have before. Myles Turner is more of a pick-and-pop center. When he does roll, it's more of a short roll. The Pacers didn't have anyone who could roll anyone who could roll to the hoop and get a bucket inside.
Siakam gives Haliburton that partner. He is someone who can get almost any kind of hoop at the bucket that he wants. His ability to score inside is uncanny. That's not the only value he provides to Haliburton though. He does more than that on offense.
Siakam is also another player who can hit shots at the end of the shot clock when the offense bogs down. He's also the only other starter besides Haliburton who can consistently create his own shot. The Pacers desperately need a secondary shot-creator like him.
Haliburton needs a second star to be able to grow with. Siakam is that star player. He's won a championship before and has made an All-NBA team, just as Haliburton has. He's a great player that will make things easier for Haliburton as he continues to grow.
The second player on this list is Siakam's running mate in the frontcourt.