Toronto Raptors fans say it’s “heartbreaking” that all-star forward Pascal Siakam is being traded to the Indiana Pacers.
“I am so sad,” Heather Talbot said at Scotiabank Arena on Wednesday night. “He can always be counted on to get so many points for us.”
Her husband Terry Talbot, agreed, saying the news was disappointing.
“It’s sad. It really is sad, having him for so long. All the rumours about him being traded and he’s been so steady all the way through,” he said.
The comments come after the Raptors were reported to be in the final stages of a trade that would see the team offload Siakam, 29, to the Pacers. That trade was confirmed by the Toronto Raptors Basketball Club late Wednesday night.
The Raptors received guard Bruce Brown, forward Jordan Nwora and three first-round picks from the Pacers in return. Toronto also got guard Kira Lewis from New Orleans, with a second-round pick going from the Pacers to the Pelicans in the deal.
Raptors fan Donny Phimsavanh, of Stratford, Ont., said he wishes Siakam all the best with his new team but he is sad, nonetheless, to see him go.
“It’s one of those things where it’s a business decision,” Phimsavanh said on Wednesday. “Seeing him go is heartbreaking. I love Siakam so much and I wish we kept him. It’s hard.”
Phimsavanh said he would have liked to see Siakam win another NBA championship with the Raptors along with forward Scottie Barnes.
The trade ends Siakam’s nearly eight-year run with the Raptors during which he was a two-time All-NBA selection, two-time all-star and part of the team that won the 2019 NBA title.
WATCH | CBC’s Dale Manucdoc reports courtside on the Siakam trade rumours:
The Toronto Raptors are in the final stages of a trade that would see the team offload two-time all-star forward Pascal Siakam, according to reports. The Raptors said they’re not able to comment on trade rumours ‘until anything has been made official.’ CBC’s Dale Manucdoc explains what we know so far.
Mayor Olivia Chow took to Twitter to express her well wishes, saying Siakam will “always have a place in our city’s heart,” for his contributions to the team and as a member of the 2019 NBA championship team.
“Best of luck in Indianapolis, and thank you for everything,” Chow said in a post on X, formerly Twitter, on Wednesday.
‘A pure basketball junkie,’ head coach says of Siakam
Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic told reporters on Wednesday that Siakam is a true professional.
“Pascal is just a pure basketball junkie. He is the first one to show up in the gym, the last one to leave. He was always coachable, always professional since day one,” he said.
“I can only be thankful and grateful for all of his contributions to our team this season. But also I have to acknowledge that he spent nine years with this organization, came here as almost a teenager and left quite a legacy behind him. I wish him all the best going forward,” he added.
“He’s a great human being and he’s somebody who just really deeply cares about basketball and wants to do well in basketball.”
‘One of the most coveted players in the league’: Lowry
Miami Heat guard Kyle Lowry, a former Raptor, said Siakam will do well with the Pacers.
“Pascal, my beloved one, is one of the most coveted players in our league, he’s one of the most talented players in our league and whatever happens with him he’ll be successful. I’m always going to love him and support him and be happy for him,” Lowry said.
Lowry said Siakam was a “great teammate” because of high energy and is “high level.”
Siakam, originally from Cameroon, is in the final year of his contract, one that pays him nearly $38 million this season, and becomes eligible this summer to sign a five-year deal that could be worth as much as $247 million.
The all-star forward joined the Raptors in 2016 as the 27th overall pick. He averaged 17.4 points, 6.5 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 31.0 minutes in 510 games (416 starts) in eight seasons with Toronto.
In a news release on Wednesday night, Masai Ujiri, vice-chairman and president of the Raptors, said: “Pascal is a champion, an integral part of winning teams and an example of what can be achieved with dedication, perseverance, hard work and tenacity. We’re lucky to have seen Pascal develop into the man and player that he is today — and we are grateful for everything he has done for our city and for our franchise. We wish him all good things.”
Siakam founded the PS43 Foundation, a charitable organization, in April 2021. The number 43 is his jersey number and it represents four men — his father and three brothers — and three women — his mother and two sisters.
The foundation is a “shared initiative that binds Pascal and his family while giving back to the community.
“Looking beyond the sport of basketball, Pascal hopes to inspire children to feel like they have a chance at anything they want in life. Basketball has been more than a game to Pascal. It has given Pascal the opportunity to reach new heights and give back to youth in ways he never imagined possible,” its website reads.