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Grading Kevin Pritchard's trades as Pacers president

Kevin Pritchard has made 24 trades since being named the Pacers president in 2017 and the 24th is one of the biggest. The Pacers are adding Pascal Siakam from Toronto for Bruce Brown, Jordan Nwora and three first-round picks. Here's a look at all of his previous deals:

  1. Feb. 8, 2022: Pacers receive Tyrese Haliburton, Buddy Hield and Tristan Thompson for Domantas Sabonis, Jeremy Lamb, Justin Holiday and a 2023 second-rounder (Jordan Walsh).

Do not underestimate how good Domantas Sabonis has been for the Kings, but this is still a big win for the Pacers. Indiana had to break up the Myles Turner-Sabonis pairing and Turner has been a better player since. Haliburton's value is obvious – a centerpiece the Pacers can build around. Buddy Hield has been a positive addition, as well.

2. July 6, 2017: Pacers receive Victor Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis from the Thunder for Paul George.

Trading Paul George is a loss but when you have to trade him, Oladipo and Sabonis is a win. Both were All-Stars and the Pacers won a lot of games with them as the core of the team, though they didn't make it out of the first round of the playoffs. Sabonis, of course, was turned into Haliburton, the franchise's best player since George. You never want to trade George but if you have to, this is how you do it.

3. July 6, 2019: Pacers received Malcolm Brogdon from Milwaukee for a 2020 first-round pick (R.J. Hampton), 2022 second-round pick (Max Christie) and a 2025 second-rounder.

Neither Hampton nor Christie has developed into a regular while Brogdon was incredibly productive for the Pacers ... when he was on the court. He averaged 18.9 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 5.1 apg but never played in more than 56 games. Still, a big win for the Pacers.

4. June 6, 2019: Pacers received T.J. Warren from Phoenix as well as a 2022 second-rounder (Luke Travers), 2025 second-rounder and 2026 second-rounder in three-team trade also involving the Heat.

This was essentially a salary dump by the Suns, but Warren was really good. He averaged 19.5 points in 71 games for the Pacers before injuries derailed his career; he's played 42 games over the last two-plus seasons. The injuries knock it down to a medium win.

5. July 9, 2022: Pacers receive Daniel Theis, Aaron Nesmith, Nik Stauskas, Malik Fitts, Juwon Morgan and a 2023 first-round pick (Julian Strawther) from Boston for Malcolm Brogdon.

Brogdon has been very productive since leaving the Pacers – 14.9 ppg, 4.1 apg, 3.9 rpg, 43.4% on 3-pointers – but for $22.5 million per season. Nesmith has been almost as productive – 11.8 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 46.6% 3s – this season and is a better fit as a defensive wing than Brogdon. The Pacers rolled that first-round pick into the 2024 draft to have another asset for Siakam, making this a definite win.

6. Jan. 14, 2021: Pacers receive Caris LeVert, a 2024 second-round pick and a 2023 second-round pick (Jalen Pickett) from Houston for Victor Oladio in four-team trade.

LeVert averaged 19.6 ppg, 4.7 apg and 4.2 rpg, albeit on inefficient 44.5% shooting, in 74 games for the Pacers. Oladipo has played just 74 games since the trade and is currently out of the NBA. The Pacers flipped LeVert for draft picks that became Ben Sheppard and Andrew Nembhard; getting something for Oladipo at that point in his career was a medium win.

7. Feb. 10, 2023: Pacers receive Jalen Smith from Phoenix for Torrey Craig.

Craig remains a useful piece for any NBA team as a solid 3-and-D wing. Smith has had his ups and downs with the Pacers, but has been a very productive piece as a backup center/starting power forward this season. Smith is averaging 10.1 points, shooting 70.4% on 2-pointers and 46.8% on 3s, with 5.4 rebounds in just 17.7 minutes per game. Another solid win.

8. July 7, 2023: Pacers receive Obi Toppin from the Knicks for 2028 and 2029 second-rounders.

The Pacers needed a power forward and trading two seconds for Toppin has worked out as well as the team could have hoped. Toppin is shooting an NBA-best 72.1% on 2-pointers, 42.1% on 3s and is averaging 11.6 ppg. Rebounding (4.0) and defense aren't his strengths, and he'll likely lose playing time to Siakam, but this has been a solid win.

9. Aug. 6, 2021: Pacers receive Isaiah Jackson for Aaron Holiday and Isaiah Todd in five-team trade.

Holiday remains a backup point guard in the NBA, but Jackson has been a more productive backup center. Jackson is averaging 7.2 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.3 blocks in 14.0 minutes per game. He's also averaging 7.4 fouls per 36 minutes, which limits his ability to be more than a backup, and the Pacers have center depth, so it's a small win.

10. Feb. 7, 2022: Pacers receive Ricky Rubio, a 2022 second-rounder (Andrew Nembhard), 2023 first-rounder (Ben Sheppard) and 2027 second-rounder from Cleveland for Caris LeVert and a 2022 second-rounder (Luke Travers).

Another small win. LeVert was a free agent after last season and might have been difficult for the Pacers to re-sign, but he's been a useful wing for the Cavs, averaging 13.4 ppg over three seasons. Nembhard's defensive skills make him a better fit with the Pacers. Sheppard gives the Pacers another chance to benefit from the deal.

11. June 23, 2023: Pacers receive least favorable 2024 first-round pick from the Thunder, Clipper, Jazz or Rockets and Mojave King for a first-round pick that became Julian Strawther.

This was a four-team trade of draft assets. The Pacers had more first-round picks than roster spots last season and rolling one forward a year helped land Siakam, making this a win.

12. July 14, 2017: Pacers receive Cory Joseph from Toronto for Emir Preldzic.

Joseph was a solid reserve point guard for two seasons, averaging 7.2 points, 3.5 assists and 3.3 rebounds. Preldzic never appeared in an NBA game. Another small win.

13. Feb. 9, 2023: Pacers receive George Hill, a 2025 second-rounder, 2024 second-rounder, 2023 second-rounder (Isaiah Wong), Serge Ibaka, Jordan Nwora and cash for Juan Pablo Valet as part of a four-team trade with Phoenix, Milwaukee and New Jersey.

This was part of the Kevin Durant trade. The Pacers got involved to free up cap space for the Bucks to acquire Jae Crowder. Not a big win but the Pacers gave up almost nothing; second-round picks are useful and Nwora averaged 9.7 points in limited time with the Pacers before being included in the Siakam deal.

14. June 22, 2017: Pacers receive Edmund Sumner from New Orleans for $1 million

While Sumner did not have a long-term impact on the Pacers, he was a solid reserve guard, averaging 5.7 points on 47.4% shooting in 108 games.

15. June 21, 2019: Pacers received $1 million and a 2021 second-rounder (Georgios Kalaitzakis) for a 2019 second-rounder (Jarrell Brantley).

The Pacers got $1 million for a trade of nondescript second-round picks.

16. Feb. 7, 2019: Pacers received Nik Stauskas, Wade Baldwin, Maaty Leunen and a 2021 second-rounder (Sandro Mamukelashvili) from Houston for cash.

This is only a win because I love the fact the Pacers have twice traded for Nik Stauskas and he's never actually been on the roster. The trade was a salary dump by the Rockets, with the Pacers getting a second-round pick for taking on the money.

17. Nov. 25, 2020: Pacers receive Jalen Lecque from the Thunder for T.J. Leaf.

This is a loss only because of the memory of drafting Leaf. Lecque scored 5 points in his Pacers career while Leaf had 12 in his career after leaving the Pacers.

18. Oct. 6, 2021: Pacers received Juan Pablo Vaulet from Brooklyn for Edmond Sumner and a 2025 second-rounder.

Vaulet is a European player who has not appeared in an NBA game. The Pacers returned him to Brooklyn in the Nwora deal, so I guess that's value. Sumner had a solid season for the Nets (7.1 ppg, in 2022-23) but is no longer in the NBA, so this is the smallest of losses.

INCOMPLETE

June 22, 2023: Pacers receive Jarace Walker and two 2028 second-rounders from Washington for Bilal Coulibaly

This was a swap of the seventh and eighth overall picks in the 2023 draft. It was part of the three-team trade that involved Chris Paul and Jordan Poole as Pritchard again found a way to get something – two second-round picks – for nothing as the Pacers were going to take Walker either way. Coulibaly (8.2 ppg, 4.3 rpg) has been the better player so far but in a much different environment. Walker has demonstrated his all-around game in limited NBA minutes (8 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, 4 steals, 2 blocks in the blowout loss to Utah), but he'll need to shoot better (3-of-11 vs. Utah, 40.0% on the season) for the Pacers to win this trade.

July 6, 2023: Pacers receive a 2028 Dallas second-rounder and 2030 Sacramento second-rounder for Chris Duarte.

After a promising rookie season, Duarte has continued to struggle shooting the ball with the Kings, shooting 36.0% in limited time this season. If he finds his shooting touch again, this could look bad for the Pacers, but they had wings, so the deal made sense.

June 23, 2022: Pacers receive Kendall Brown from Minnesota for a 2026 second-rounder.

Brown hasn't received enough playing time to make any determination, and we're more than two years from knowing what the Pacers gave up for him.

Jul 30, 2021: Pacers receive Isaiah Todd for a 2024 second-rounder, 2026 second-rounder, Sandro Mamukelashvili, Georgios Kalaitzakis.

Todd was flipped to Washington in the five-team trade that landed the Pacers Isaiah Jackson, so if you want to call this a win, go ahead. Kalaitzakis averaged 17.5 points in four games with the Thunder in 2021-22, but hasn't appeared in the NBA since. Mamukelashvili averaged 10.7 points for the Spurs last season and remains on their roster. Todd averaged 1.6 points for Washington in 18 games.

June 24, 2022: Pacers receive cash from Milwaukee for Hugo Besson

Besson is a 22-year-old wing from France who was taken with the 58th pick in the 2022 draft. He has appeared in Bucks' summer league games, but has yet to make his NBA debut.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Pascal Siakam trade: Grading all Kevin Pritchard's trade with Pacers