Pacers acquire Cameroonian star

LOS ANGELES (AFP) — The Indiana Pacers acquired Cameroonian All-Star Pascal Siakam from the Toronto Raptors Wednesday in a deal that sends Bruce Brown to Toronto.

The Pacers confirmed the deal, reported earlier by US media, saying the Raptors would receive guards Brown and Kira Lewis and forward Jordan Nwora in the deal along with two 2024 first-round draft picks and a conditional first-round pick in 2026.

Lewis had been acquired by the Pacers from the New Orleans Pelicans earlier Wednesday.

"We're incredibly excited to welcome Pascal to Indiana," Pacers president of basketball operations Kevin Pritchard said.

As a two-time All-National Basketball Association selection and two-time NBA All-Star, Pascal is a player that our organization has long admired and respected. We feel that his unique offensive skillset will complement our style of play, while his defensive versatility will be a valuable asset to our team."

Siakam, 29, is averaging 22.2 points and 6.3 rebounds this season and will further strengthen the Pacers who are 23-17 and are currently sixth in the Eastern Conference.

Led by in-form point guard Tyrese Haliburton, the surprise package of the season, the Pacers also reached the final of the NBA's new in-season Cup-style tournament where they were beaten by the Los Angeles Lakers.

Siakam was drafted by the Raptors in 2016 and was part of the NBA title winning team in 2019.