Tyrese Haliburton’s leadership has never been in question, but his pivotal role in bringing Pascal Siakam to Indiana reveals just how much influence he has both on and off the court. In a recent interview, Haliburton opened up about the origins of the Pacers’ blockbuster trade for Siakam, and it turns out he was the one who made the first move.
The Pacers were in Atlanta when rumors began swirling about a potential Siakam trade. Haliburton, sensing an opportunity, stepped away from dinner and called the Raptors forward. What followed was an hour-long phone conversation that laid the foundation for what would become one of the most impactful trades in recent Pacers history.
“Yeah, I can recall everything about getting him here. We were in Atlanta, had a pretty great conversation with him while I was at a dinner. I stepped aside, we talked on the phone for like an hour. I just wanted to have a conversation with him.”
“Hey, is this something that you actually want to do? Do you want to be here? Because I think that the guys who have been a part of the nucleus of this group, we cherish this. We cherish this organization and what we’ve been able to build here.”
“When you think every team, to ultimately get to win a championship or play at a high level, there’s going to be a trade that happens. You bring in somebody from the outside to come and be a part of it, and you don’t want to make the wrong move. If you go in for Pascal, you want to be about the right things.”
“I didn’t really know Pascal too well other than our small conversations when we would be at like Rico runs or something. We had a great conversation, and I think we just very much so aligned on wanting to win and that being the emphasis.”
“Obviously, I told him that, hey, I think that we could really play well together. I think I can get you the ball in space and allow you to do what you do. He preached that there’s many things that he could do to help me succeed. We had many conversations about it.”
“That being said, after that conversation, I still don’t know if it’s going to happen because a trade has to be made and all that stuff has to be aligned, but this was just a conversation that I initiated because I knew the rumors and I wanted to talk to him about it.”
“I’m very thankful I did, and we aligned on those things. I think it’s a big part of why we are where we are. That relationship that we have, we don’t spend a lot of time together off the floor. He lives downtown Indie, I live more up north, so it’s not like we spend a ton of time together off the floor, but we talk very often.”
“It’s a lot of basketball talking. I think the biggest thing that I can respect about him is just his work ethic. He comes in the gym. I know he’s going to be there every day. I know the exact hoop he’s going to be on, so I try not to take his hoop.”
“I let him get his one-on-one work in. Seeing him work that hard makes me want to work harder, and I think that goes through our group. I love having him as a teammate.”
Of course, the conversation didn’t guarantee a trade. The front office still had to make the move happen. And they did, in January 2024, the Pacers acquired Pascal Siakam from the Toronto Raptors in exchange for Bruce Brown Jr., Kira Lewis Jr., Jordan Nwora, two 2024 first-round picks, and a conditional 2026 first-rounder.
It was a steep price, but Indiana believed in the vision. More importantly, Haliburton and Siakam had already laid the emotional groundwork.
Since then, that belief has paid off spectacularly. Siakam not only helped guide the Pacers to their first Eastern Conference Finals appearance since 2014 but also re-signed with the franchise, inking a four-year, $189.5 million contract that locked him in as Haliburton’s long-term running mate.
This postseason, Siakam has delivered exactly what Indiana hoped for. A championship-winning veteran from his Toronto days, Siakam averaged 20.9 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 3.2 assists in the playoffs while shooting an eye-popping 53.3% from the field and 46.4% from beyond the arc.
His performances were especially vital in the Eastern Conference Finals against the Knicks, where his big-game poise and timely buckets made the difference.
Now, the Pacers are in the NBA Finals, holding a surprising 1-0 lead over the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Game 1 was a statement, and if Indiana can somehow steal another win on the road, they’ll be in the driver’s seat. OKC, the league’s best team this season, won’t take that lightly, but Haliburton and Siakam have proven they’re up for the challenge.
And to think, it all started with one phone call from a dinner table in Atlanta.
