The Indiana Pacers don't have the best LeBron James-related memories, as he has sent them packing from the playoffs in five different postseasons.
However, as he nears the end of his career--or at least his contract--with the Los Angeles Lakers, it's easy to see similaraties between his possible last season in LA and Pascal Siakam's last season with the Toronto Raptors.
The Pacers ended that saga with Siakam on their roster, and his behaviors before he was traded are similar to the way LeBron has been carrying himself ever since the Lakers refused to offer him a new contract.
"Raptors fans will probably remember the fact that [Siakam] was absent from veteran practices and other team activities while his name was kind of bandied about in trade conversation all offseason," remembered NBA insider Jake Fisher.
"He was looking for a max contract extension with Toronto, didn't get it, and lo and behold, flash forward to that upcoming February, two trade deadlines ago, he is probably the biggest name move that the Indiana Pacers go out and acquire."
Siakam would quickly sign a massive contract extesion with the Pacers, fufilling the wish the Raptors refused. He would also go on two deep playoff runs in his first seasons in Indiana, while the Raptors opted to replace him with Brandon Ingram, a lateral move at best.
James, who would likely like some guarantees from the Lakers next season, could find himself in a similar situation.
"Is that kind of where things are going with LeBron?" Fischer asked. "This was the first time that the Lakers, in his tenure since joining Los Angeles in 2018, this was the first time with LeBron facing a potential contract year. The Lakers did not give him a contract extension. They did not offer him one to our understanding, and that is kind of a big theme and a big undercurrent running throughout the league's offseason marketplace."
James is a much bigger star than Siakam, although when the Pacers conducted their trade, Siakam was (and is) in the prime of his career. James' value can only go down, and he shouldn't be surprised if no one is willing to commit to him and his son long-term.
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