Indiana Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle credited the acquisition of Pascal Siakam as the turning point in his team’s run to the 2025 NBA Finals.
Speaking with The Athletic, Carlisle explained how the All-Star forward transformed the team’s trajectory after arriving from Toronto in January.
“Well, if you have the right player to build around, it can happen much faster than you think,” Carlisle said. “Getting Tyrese made it very clear what our identity as a team needed to be. We needed to be a fast-paced team with shooting, and we had some good shooting at the time. The Siakam trade took things to another level.”
The deal, completed ahead of the trade deadline, sent multiple first-round picks to the Raptors and immediately bolstered Indiana’s playoff hopes.
Siakam appeared in 78 regular season games this year, averaging 20.2 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 3.4 assists on 51.9% shooting from the field.
In the postseason, the 30-year-old has elevated his game, averaging 21.1 points while shooting 53.7% overall and 46.3% from deep.
Carlisle emphasized the veteran’s two-way impact, calling him a “stabilizer” on both ends of the floor.
Siakam’s leadership was on full display in Indiana’s Game 6 win over the New York Knicks, where he scored a game-high 31 points to close out the Eastern Conference Finals.
The win secured Indiana’s first NBA Finals berth since 2000 and capped a remarkable postseason run for a team that entered as the East’s No. 4 seed.
Indiana will now face the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder in the NBA Finals, which begin Thursday night at Paycom Center.
Oklahoma City swept the regular season series against the Pacers, including a 132-111 blowout win in their most recent meeting.
The Pacers are aiming for their first NBA title in franchise history, while the Thunder return to the Finals for the first time since 2012.
