Pacers' Haliburton Reflects on Trade for Siakam

All-Star guard says loss to Lakers in 2023 tournament inspired Pacers' pursuit of Raptors forward

Jan. 29, 2026 at 3:55am

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In a podcast interview with LeBron James, Pacers All-Star Tyrese Haliburton discussed how the team's loss to the Lakers in the 2023 In-Season Tournament Finals led to the trade for Pascal Siakam, who has been a key part of the Pacers' success in recent seasons. Haliburton also talked about his development as a passer and the Pacers' adoption of a more free-flowing, "randomized" offensive style.

Why it matters

Haliburton's insights provide an inside look at how the Pacers' front office evaluated their needs and made the decision to acquire Siakam, a move that has paid dividends for the franchise. The story also highlights Haliburton's growth as a playmaker and the team's evolution to a more improvisational, hard-to-scout offense.

The details

Haliburton said the Pacers' loss to the Lakers in the 2023 In-Season Tournament Finals was "eye-opening" for the front office, leading them to pursue a trade for Siakam about a month later. Siakam has since been the Pacers' leading scorer, helping the team reach the Eastern Conference Finals in 2024 and the NBA Finals in 2025. Haliburton also discussed how he developed his jump passing skills by watching NBA greats like LeBron and Magic Johnson, and how his and Buddy Hield's "buddy ball" style after being traded to the Pacers in 2022 inspired the team's more free-flowing offense.

  • The Pacers lost to the Lakers in the 2023 In-Season Tournament Finals.
  • The Pacers acquired Pascal Siakam from the Raptors a little over a month after that game.

The players

Tyrese Haliburton

An All-Star guard for the Indiana Pacers who has been sidelined this season with an Achilles injury.

Pascal Siakam

An All-Star forward who was traded from the Toronto Raptors to the Indiana Pacers and has been the team's leading scorer in recent seasons.

LeBron James

A NBA superstar who interviewed Haliburton on his "Mind The Game" podcast.

Buddy Hield

A guard who was traded to the Pacers along with Haliburton in 2022 and helped establish the team's more free-flowing offensive style.

Rick Carlisle

The head coach of the Indiana Pacers who gave Haliburton more freedom to run the offense.

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What they’re saying

“I still remember it like it was yesterday, man. I came off the ball screen, I hadn't turned the ball over in three games. I was rolling. I came off. You were the MIG (most important guy on defense). I'm like, 'Oh, I'm fitting to hit this pocket.' Then you ran through and stole it, and that was before the take foul, so I just grabbed you. You looked at me and I looked at you and I'm like, 'Ah (expletive), we're in trouble. This is about to be a long night.'”

— Tyrese Haliburton, Pacers Guard (Mind The Game Podcast)

“I felt like establishing that when we weren't good allowed us to go into that following year and RC to pull me aside and just be like, 'Hey man, I don't want to call plays. I want you to dictate what we do more. I want to play more random. It's harder to scout that way.' We kinda ran with that.”

— Tyrese Haliburton, Pacers Guard (Mind The Game Podcast)

What’s next

The Pacers will look to build on their recent success and return to the playoffs, with Haliburton expected to make a full recovery from his Achilles injury.

The takeaway

Haliburton's insights highlight how a single game can shape a franchise's direction, as the Pacers' loss to the Lakers in 2023 inspired them to acquire Siakam and adopt a more free-flowing, hard-to-scout offensive style that has paid dividends. The story also showcases Haliburton's development as a playmaker and the trust the Pacers' coaching staff has placed in him to lead the team's offense.