"Look at the numbers": Charles Barkley gives his verdict on Pascal Siakam-Pacers trade

After they traded for Pascal Siakam, former NBA star Charles Barkley became one of many people who shifted their opinion about the Indiana Pacers. The Pacers are now an improved team on paper and many are looking forward to what they can do with Siakam on the team.

They traded Bruce Brown, Jordan Nwora and future picks to the Toronto Raptors. The New Orleans Pelicans were also involved in the deal as they shipped Kira Lewis to the Raptors and a future second-round pick to Indiana.

Barkley now believes that the Pacers have a chance to beat the top teams in the league this season. Tyrese Haliburton and Co. are currently the best offensive team, with a net rating of 121.6. Their defense needed some improvement and adding Siakam to the mix could potentially address the issue.

Chuck talked about how trading for Siakam could work out for the Pacers:

"Well, he was the second-best player when they won the championship [with the Toronto Raptors]," Barkley said. "Go look at the numbers. This ain't a good trade for the Pacers, it's a great trade.

"I love what they're doing in Indiana... his numbers are only going to get better cause he playing with better players."

The 1993 MVP shared that the Boston Celtics are the team to beat and the Pacers have addressed the issue of facing them in the future. They've beaten title contenders already this season, showing everyone that they are one star away from being a threat in the East.

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Raptors GM apologizes to Pascal Siakam for lack of communication

Raptors fans will always remember the contributions of Pascal Siakam to their organization, especially during the 2018-19 season when they reached the ultimate goal. The trade came as a surprise to most fans, but seeing as how they want to build around the young star, Scottie Barnes, trading Siakam seemed expected.

The general manager for the Toronto-based team Masai Ujiri talked during his media availability regarding the recent trades. Ujiri mentioned that he had an honest conversation with Siakam after the trade and apologized that he could've been more communicative during the past summer:

"I think the lines of communication in the summer were not that great," Ujiri said. "...I apologized to him before the season started, and I apologized to him again recently."

This is Siakam's eighth season with the Raptors. While with the franchise, he became a two-time All-Star and a 20-point scorer. Although defense was his bread and butter, his gradual improvement in scoring took his game to another level.

The Cameroonian star was a key player in the Raptors' 2019 title run, averaging 19.8 points, 7.5 rebounds and 3.7 assists against the Golden State Warriors.