WATCH: Pascal Siakam bids heartfelt goodbye to Raptors nation after Pacers trade

Former Toronto Raptors forward Pascal Siakam is now moving on to join his new team, the Indiana Pacers, after he was traded recently. As he gets traded, he filmed a farewell message to the franchise and the fans for an unforgettable eight-year ride that helped him mature as a player.

He posted the video on X (formerly Twitter), reflecting on his time with the Raptors. Watch the video below.

"To the fans, Raptor nation," Siakam said. "Just thank you... I thought I'd be a Raptor forever."

Raptors fans will always remember the impact that Siakam had on the team. Without him, the Toronto-based team wouldn't have won the 2019 title against the Golden State Warriors. While many see Kawhi Leonard as the X-factor during that title run, his contributions helped the stars of the team tremendously.

Siakam became a two-time All-Star with the team and even won the Most Improved Player award during the season when they won the title. The 6-foot-8 forward also became a two-time All-NBA while with the team.

With trading Siakam, the Raptors have moved on from the 2019 roster and are now focused on building around Scottie Barnes.

You might also be interested in reading this: 5 players Pacers could target to upgrade roster after Pascal Siakam trade

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The reason why Pascal Siakam wasn't traded to the Warriors

Before the news broke out that the Pacers were the team that traded for Pascal Siakam, many were monitoring the situation with the Golden State Warriors. They were one of the teams interested in trading for Siakam. Fans hoped to see a pairing of the Cameroonian forward and Steph Curry, but that didn't fall through.

According to The Athletic's Sam Amick, the trade didn't push through as Siakam wasn't interested in signing an extension with the Warriors. The forward is in the final year of his contract and will be an unrestricted free agent this summer.

Sources say that Siakam is looking forward to negotiating a new contract with the Pacers after his current deal is done. The forward has reportedly communicated with point guard Tyrese Haliburton about a potential partnership for the future.

The Warriors could've fixed their season if they traded for Siakam and had an agreement on his future. For Golden State, the stars have struggled and their small-ball approach hasn't been as effective this season.

Also, Draymond Green's series of suspensions have given the team problems on the defensive end, and that could've been addressed if they had acquired the 2019 champion.

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