NBA Trades: Indiana Pacers acquire Pascal Siakam in blockbuster deal to shake up East

NBA Trades: The Indiana Pacers pull off a blockbuster move for Pascal Siakam as they look to emerge as a contender in the Eastern Conference.

The NBA's best No. 1 rated offense is about to get a lot better. The Indiana Pacers, Toronto Raptors, and New Orleans Pelicans have agreed to a blockbuster trade centered around Pascal Siakam. The Pacers make their big move as they finally land a strong No. 2 supporting star next to budding superstar Tyrese Haliburton.

Officially, the Pacers traded Bruce Brown, Jordan Nwora, and three future first-round picks to the Raptors in exchange for Siakam. The Pelicans, operating as a third team in this deal, will send Kira Lewis to the Raptors and a second-round pick to Indiana.

In what could end up being remembered as the biggest move of the NBA Trade Deadline, the Pacers take a big step forward in the Eastern Conference and immediately emerge as a team that could quietly make a run in the postseason.

At roughly the midway point of the season, the Pacers find themselves with a 23-17 record, good enough for the sixth seed in the East standings. You'd have to imagine that with Siakam, the Pacers will be in an even better position to finish as a top 4 team in the conference. Indiana is just one game back of the fourth seed and three games back of the third seed.

How good can the Indiana Pacers be with a duo of Haliburton and Siakam?

After making this move for Siakam, the big question for the Pacers revolves around how good they can be in the East. Even though they may not be on the same wavelength as the Boston Celtics and Milwaukee Bucks, even after the move for Siakam, I also don't believe either of those teams will be all that eager to face off in a seven-game series against the Pacers.

As currently assembled, the Pacers will have the firepower to keep pace with any other team in the conference, including the Philadelphia 76ers, Miami Heat, and Cleveland Cavaliers.

I suppose the big question is whether the Pacers will be good enough on the defensive end and whether they'll have enough experience on the roster to make a deep run. Even though that still remains a question, there's no doubt that this move certainly helps the Pacers get a bit closer to the fight for the top of the East.

As far as the Raptors are concerned, the retooling is here. The Scottie Barnes era is officially going to begin. That much has become clear after the team has decided to trade both OG Anunoby and now Siakam.