The Indiana Pacers have done an incredible job of becoming competitive in the 2023-24 NBA season after struggling to get out of the middle of the Eastern Conference for several years.
A key reason behind the Pacers’ success this season is undoubtedly the rise of Tyrese Haliburton into stardom.
However, with Haliburton currently out of the lineup due to a hamstring injury, the Pacers decided to get another star in Pascal Siakam to keep the team thriving before their star guard returns.
While the trade for Siakam ultimately makes the Pacers a much more balanced team, the organization reportedly had an eye on another talented forward before finalizing the deal with the Toronto Raptors.
As per NBA insider Zach Lowe via Evan Sidery on Twitter, the Pacers were in talks to trade for Utah Jazz star Lauri Markkanen.
“Indiana and several other interested teams were quickly told Utah had zero interest in moving their star player,” Sidery tweeted.
Before acquiring Pascal Siakam, the Pacers called the Jazz about potentially trading for Lauri Markkanen, per @ZachLowe_NBA (https://t.co/S5grV8r04m).
Indiana and several other interested teams were quickly told Utah had zero interest in moving their star player. pic.twitter.com/L62IFs5VdW
— Evan Sidery (@esidery) January 19, 2024
Although the Pacers inquired about a potential trade to land Markkanen, the Jazz showed no interest in trading away their star forward.
Markkanen became a first-time NBA All-Star last season following great numbers for the Jazz.
This season, Markkanen has continued his sensational performance as he is averaging 24.1 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 1.9 assists per game for the Jazz.
While the Pacers failed to land Markkanen, they still managed to get a decent player in Siakam.
After all, Siakam averaged 22.2 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 4.9 assists per game for the Raptors before getting traded to the Pacers.
Considering the Pacers are currently the seventh seed in the Eastern Conference with a 25-17 record, they have a shot at making a great run in the second half of the 2023-24 NBA season.
NEXT: Myles Turner Makes A Strong Statement About Tyrese Haliburton