Draymond Green breaks down the Pascal Siakam trade to Indiana, calling it a win for both teams. The Pacers get a championship-tested defender for their young core of Tyrese Halliburton and Myles Turner, while Toronto gets three first-round picks before Siakam hits free agency.
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In other news in the NBA, Pascal Siakam, All-NBA player, All-Star Pascal Siakam, NBA champion, not to be forgotten. Former Draymond Green show guest Pascal Siakam traded to the Indiana Pacers. Very, very interesting trade. Number one, I don't think, Indiana Pacers, I think that was a place that Pascal Siakam approved to be traded to. Because number one, Pascal Siakam is a Toronto Raptor legend. No debates there, done. He's going to be respected. Masai Ujiri is a very respectful man known to respect. Respect. Guys respectful to work with. And so I know there was some communication there. He's not gonna send Pascal somewhere that Pascal doesn't wanna be just to get the biggest bang for the buck back for the Raptors. Not how Masai moving. So I know that's somewhere that Pascal had to say, "Oh, I'd be cool going there." And why wouldn't he be? You got a very young, just signed a max contract point guard, soon to be All-Star, All-Star point guard, fake All-Star, All-Star point guard, Tyrese Halliburton. That's a dream for a guy like Siakam. So when you look at it from Pascal's point of view, I can go play with this All-Star point guard, also got a big man rim protector in Myles Turner, Pascal, who you know can switch forward, can guard on the perimeter. Now I can press up even more knowing that I got a great rim protector on the back line in Myles Turner that'll allow them to mess with the pieces a little bit. And Pascal Siakam has come through the East to win a championship. So he's very familiar with the Eastern Conference. So he's probably looking at that like, wow, we got this. We got Miles Turner, we got Buddy Hill. Like, I can roll with that. Nimhard, Young, Young, Neesmith, Young. I can roll with that. Now I come in, I bring my championship pedigree, my veteran presence with those young, them boys running. Like, I don't know if y'all watched the NBA Indiana Pacers play this year. Them boys is running and gunning. Now I can bring my veteran presence to that, my championship pedigree. I like the look of that. So I have no way of confirming that, but I think I know this business pretty well. And I think that's something that Pascal approved. Job well done, sir. I think that's a great fit. Great trade for the Indiana Pacers. I also think it was a great trade Great trade for the Raptors. You got Pascal 4 months away from being a free agent, unrestricted free agent, which means he could go to wherever he wanna go. Now you may say, oh, he's just not gonna do that to the Raptors. But 10 days after winning the NBA championship, Kawhi Leonard did. So that's a very realistic thing for—
Yeah.
The Toronto Raptors. That is a reality.
And last season Fred VanVleet walked for nothing.
There it is. Like, so you've seen this loud and clear. You know it can happen. So they get 3 first round picks back. And although I don't think their picks will be great, maybe the one down the road will be great. But these 2, I don't think will necessarily be great picks. But again, you got a guy who you want to do right by, because he's won you a championship and you get 3 first round picks for a guy who's about to be out the door in a couple months. I think it's a great trade for both. I think that is beautiful to see how Masai worked out with a guy he won a championship with. If I'm not mistaken, may have drafted, um, I'm almost positive Masai drafted— Pascal, but they both have African ties, obviously both being men from Africa in the NBA doing big things. Like to see them work that out, that's very respectful, very respectful trade, great trade. I think, I don't think there was a loser in the trade. I actually think it's every now and then you get a Tyrese Halliburton, Demontis Sabonis that works out for both teams. Every now and then you get great trades for both sides. It's not always a winner and a loser. There can be two winners when you're talking about a trade. And maybe Indiana are just, it's just the team to make those wins happen for both sides. Hope them GMs out there taking notes. They may be a team that's saying, "Hey, you get something great, we get something great." But I'll tell you what, in looking at that team, and what they got, the key to how great that team can become. And again, it doesn't just happen in 4 months. You got some young guys, you got Pascal Siakam, I think is 29 years old or 28 years or 29, like still fairly young with experience. And you got a bunch of young hogs going to get it. The key that's gonna make that team what that team is gonna end up being, whether they can, push it past the Jermaine O'Neal Conference Finals, Reggie Conference Finals, whether they can ultimately push this thing to where we all want to go.
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The key to that is Benedict Mathurin. Young guy they already got. Not, I ain't saying go get this Benedict Mathurin. That kid I think has a great deal of potential. He a go-getter. He not soft at all. He ain't a bully, which you ain't gotta like, but he ain't soft. Like you ain't bullying him. He ain't backing down. He can shoot it. Well enough to where if he in that gym, his shot can become good. He can handle it. He's pretty athletic. Benedict Mathurin I think is the key to that team. 'Cause I, I love his potential. I love that draft pick for the Pacers. And I think he's on a good trajectory. Like it doesn't happen overnight. That's a part of the growth. That's a part of getting young guys and grooming them. But what Benedict Mathurin can become will decide ultimately what that franchise can become. Tyrese is great. Right? Like, I won't say great yet because the young fella still on his way, but he's one of the better point guards in this league for sure. Pascal Siakam, champion, All-NBA, All-Star. Like, Myles Turner is a great rim protector, knock the 3 down, athletic, will finish on you. Like, Buddy, we know Buddy shooting it. Obviously you don't know what happens with Buddy's free agent, will they trade him or not? I mean, if they keep him, we know Buddy can knock it down. If not, they got young fellas and they free that cap space up. I think it's a win-win there. But Benedict Mathurin is the key. His growth will determine ultimately how far the Indiana Pacers can take him. Yeah.
