Pacers' Pascal Siakam Posts Farewell Video After Raptors Trade: 'Toronto Forever'

Pascal Siakam is off to Indiana, but before he officially embarks on his journey with the Pacers, the veteran forward had to take the time to thank the Toronto Raptors for the first seven and a half years of his career.

Siakam posted a video to X, formerly known as Twitter, on Friday bidding farewell to the Raptors and discussing his tenure with the franchise. Towards the end of the video (3:30 mark), the 29-year-old said he thought he was going to spend his entire career in Toronto.

Siakam said:

"I couldn't imagine playing for any other team than the Toronto Raptors. That's something that I didn't even dare to think about because I didn't really imagine myself playing somewhere else and the moment I had to start thinking about it was probably one of the hardest times because in my head it was difficult to just think about the idea of leaving. That's no disrespect, it's just I never thought about it. It never crossed my mind because I thought I'd be a Raptor forever." 

After months of trade rumors and speculation, the Raptors sent Siakam to the Pacers this week in exchange for Bruce Brown, Jordan Nwora and three first-round picks.

Siakam is set to become a free agent this summer and is due for a major contract extension that the Raptors were unlikely to dish out.

The 2016 first-round pick helped lead the Raptors to an NBA title in 2019, and he also earned two All-Star selections and two All-NBA selections during his tenure with the franchise.

Now heading to Indiana, Siakam is said to be "excited about the deal to the Pacers and expected to be eager to work out a new contract with the franchise this summer," according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

Siakam now joins a solid Indiana rotation that's headlined by Tyrese Haliburton and Myles Turner. If he inks an extension and remains with the Pacers beyond 2024, the trio will face high expectations to win a championship.