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Even after the Pascal Siakam trade, the Indiana Pacers still put long-term success first on the day of the 2024 trade deadline.

INDIANAPOLIS: Buddy Hield was moved away by the Indiana Pacers in February after they acquired Pascal Siakam in January. Even if their roster has improved over the past month, the Pacers’ team-building philosophy is embodied in those seemingly incompatible decisions.

Purchasing Siakam means making a wager on both the here and the now. With the trade deadline behind them, Indiana, currently ranked sixth in the Eastern Conference, is certain they are prepared to challenge for a postseason spot at the very least. They may not have the talent to win the Eastern Conference, but they are ready to compete in postseason games.

On Thursday, Pacers general manager Chad Buchanan said of Siakam, “I’ve always appreciated his two-way ability.” He admitted that, before this season, the team had made an attempt to acquire the two-time All-NBA forward. “So far, he’s been phenomenal for us.”

The Pacers traded Buddy Hield away less than three weeks after completing that transaction and announcing their intention to improve as a basketball team. In a three-team transaction that resulted in Doug McDermott and two second-round draft picks—including a solid one in the future 2024 draft—they gave him to the Philadelphia 76ers.

It’s a fair enough deal when considering values. Hield’s contract was about to expire, and an extension with the blue and gold was not going to happen. The Pacers would lose significant power if they held onto the 31-year-old guard as free agency approached.

However, it was a sale, and this season the team will suffer as a result. Although McDermott is an excellent shooter, he is a step down from Hield and will an unrestricted free agency at the conclusion of the 2023–2024 season. The seasoned winger is inferior to Hield as a player, but he is eligible for an extension and might add two more years before the season ends.

With Andrew Nembhard starting and Bennedict Mathurin rising, Hield’s role was getting smaller. That, combined with unsuccessful contract talks before the season, put the 31-year-old in a unique spot heading into an offseason in which he will become a valuable member of the team. “Buddy is a player that contributes valuably to us on the court, in the locker room. But we’re also in a situation where we’ve got to make some tough decisions. Building this team requires some tough decisions, and today was one of them,” Buchanan said of the trade.