Former Toronto Raptors teammates will do battle on the big stage of the Eastern Conference Finals.
When the New York Knicks and Indiana Pacers face off in the NBA Playoffs for a second successive year, there could be a few intrigued watchers from Toronto.
The matchup sets two members of the Toronto Raptors‘ 2019 NBA championship winning squad up against each other, with Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby.
The duo faced off last year in the Eastern Conference Semifinals, with the Pacers coming out on top in the series 4-3.
Pascal Siakam laid out his true feelings on the loss of his Raptors teammates when two of them were traded to the New York Knicks in December 2023.
Siakam saw Precious Achiuwa depart alongside OG Anunoby, with the Raptors acquiring RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley and a 2024 second-round pick.
Speaking at the time, Siakam began: “I think obviously it’s a difficult day. Changes and things happen like that, it’s never easy. It’s the NBA, I’ve seen these things happen.”
Siakam also paid tribute to Anunoby in particular, who he had been playing alongside for six years.
He said: “OG obviously a big part of what we’ve done here, and he’s an incredible human being, and a great player.
“For me when all these things happen I just wish the best for everyone, I hope incredible things happen to him and he gets everything that he wants and deserves.”
He also added of Achiuwa: “Precious [was] coming in trying to find his stride, trying to find a way, and all I can do is really wish him the best. That’s the NBA, you got to keep going.”
Pascal Siakam was right to acknowledge how suddenly players can be traded, as he was the next to be sent out the door in Toronto.
As part of the Raptors’ efforts to tear down their previous team and start afresh, Siakam was traded to the Indiana Pacers in January 2024, just one month after the deal with the Knicks.
Siakam was even more surprised at his own move, commenting: “I never asked for a trade. Maybe this sounds naive, but I felt I could be one of those dudes who spends his whole career on one team. That was my mentality even with the rumors.”
In a whirlwind few months to start 2024, Siakam and his former teammates did battle in the playoffs, and now they meet again, with the stakes even higher.
In 2025 both OG Anunoby and Pascal Siakam are fully entrenched with their current teams, both looking to win a first NBA title since 2019.
The Eastern Conference Finals have the hype, with both teams pulling off semifinal upsets to get there.
There will be rivalry, especially after last year’s series, but between Anunoby and Siakam, there will be a lot of love and respect.
