On Jan. 17th, Pascal Siakam was traded to the Indiana Pacers in exchange for Bruce Brown, Jordan Nwora, Kira Lewis Jr. and three first-round picks, but his legacy in Toronto and impact on the community will be cherished for many years to come.
Siakam was drafted by the Raptors with the 27th overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft after playing two seasons in college basketball with New Mexico State. But, when Siakam’s name was called on draft night, it surprised everyone at the Barclays Center – except for the Raptors’ front office who believed in the Cameroonian from the start.
“We trust him,” said assistant general manager Dan Tolzman. “He brings what we want. The energy, his length, it would be good for what we need. So, we pulled the trigger.”
Siakam’s energy and length was exactly what he brought to the organization during his seven-and-a-half seasons in Toronto.
In his first professional season, Siakam led the Raptors 905 of the NBA D-League, now called the G-League, to the D-League title while also earning Finals MVP.
That impressive rookie campaign kickstarted what has been a memorable journey with the big club.
Siakam began catching the eyes of many in the NBA community during the 2018-19 season. Paired with Kawhi Leonard and Kyle Lowry, Siakam slotted in beautifully as the third option, earning the NBA’s Most Improved Player award that season given he averaged 16.9 points per game, 6.9 rebounds per game and shot 54.9 per cent – a dramatic increase from his 7.3 points per game, 4.5 rebounds per game and 50.8 shooting percentage the season prior.
Not stopping there, Siakam continued to soar as the season progressed, taking his skills up a notch when it mattered most: playoff time.
In the 2019 playoffs, Siakam averaged 19 points per game and 7.1 rebounds per game while starting all 24 playoff games that year.
In his playoff debut, Siakam nearly got a double-double, scoring 24 points – his first of 11 20-point games that postseason – and grabbed nine rebounds.
But Siakam’s most memorable playoff moment came in game six of the NBA Finals.
With the Raptors up one, Siakam hit a clutch floater over the head of Draymond Green to give the Raptors the three-point lead with half a minute left, and the rest is history.
The Raptors went on to dethrone the Golden State Warriors and claim the franchise’s first NBA Championship – and Siakam had a large part in accomplishing that.
While the same playoff success has been lacking since the championship season, Siakam has put together very impressive regular seasons.
In 2019-20, Siakam was named an all-star for the first time while also earning his first of two All-NBA selections. Siakam was selected to the All-NBA Second-Team before being selected to the All-NBA Third-Team in 2021-22, tying Vince Carter and Demar DeRozan for the most All-NBA Selections in franchise history.
In 2022-23 Siakam added another all-star selection to his list of accolades as he averaged career-highs in points per game (24.2) and assists per game (5.8) while securing 7.8 rebounds per game.
The two-time NBA All-Star leaves the Raptors ranking amongst the top in nearly every statistical category. He ranks fifth in Raptors franchise history in points with 8,875; third in rebounds with 3,324; fifth in assists with 1,846 and fifth in games played with 510 games total.
However, his legacy extends far beyond the basketball court.
Off the court, PS43 – Siakam’s foundation – has made an impact on the lives of children across the city, including regular visits to Toronto’s Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital. Through his foundation, kids are taught financial literacy, sports and life skills aimed at empowering youth to “Dream Big.”
“[Toronto is] where my PS43 Foundation is and will continue to be. Man, I’m so excited to continue that work,” wrote Siakam in his post-trade article in The Players’ Tribune. Even though Siakam is no longer in Toronto, his legacy and impact will continue to positively change the lives of many in the community. Siakam will make his highly anticipated return to Toronto when the Raptors host the Indiana Pacers on Feb. 14th.
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