Former Raptors star Pascal Siakam has returned to Toronto

TORONTO – A lot of things at Scotiabank Arena still seem familiar to Pascal Siakam, but he noticed some differences a month after he was traded. Toronto Predators.

Here comes Siakam and the Indiana Pacers Toronto On Wednesday, he played his first game against the Raptors since being traded on Jan. 17. He spent the first eight years of his professional career at this club. Toronto and was instrumental in the Raptors' 2019 championship run.

“It was weird,” Siakam said after the morning shootaround. “I have never been in the (visitors) part of the building. Maybe during the playoffs I went over there because I think that's where the interviews took place. There are places I've never been, and honestly, it was weird.

“Seeing the building, I have so many memories here, you feel comfortable. I know I've got a different shirt, but walking into this building makes a lot of sense.”

To honor Siakam's time, the Raptors planned a lengthy pregame ceremony. Toronto. In addition to winning the NBA Finals with the Raptors, he was a two-time All-Star with the team, was named to the All-NBA team twice, and received the league's Most Improved Player award for 2018-19.

Siakam said he tries not to think about what the honor will look like.

“I just want to go out there and deal with it when I have it and not try to wait too long for it,” he said. “You go to a place where you see a lot of familiar faces, people that I've seen for the last eight years of my life, these people have been a part of my life.

“It will be very interesting to see everything. I think when you see some of the fans, some of the faces that you see every game, when you see those faces, it gives you a little bit of a sense of peace, 'I know what it's like.'

Siakam got a taste of that Wednesday morning, greeted by name by security guards and facility staff as he walked off the court at Scotiabank Arena after the shooting.

“I'm a comfortable guy and I like certain things, so it was definitely an adjustment,” Siakam said of adjusting to the Pacers organization. “But I think the guys here made it look a lot easier. Only the support of the organization, the support of everyone.”

Andrew Nembhard, a 24-year-old backup point guard for the Aurora, Pa.-based Pacers, was excited for Siakam to come to Indiana after seeing his help. Toronto won the championship five years ago.

“I knew him a little bit before he joined our team,” said Nembhard, who is with the same agency as Siakam. “He's a very unselfish but winning guy, so it was exciting to have him on our team.”

Prior to Siakam's trade, there were several media reports that he and Raptors president Masai Ujiri were at loggerheads after months of no communication between the two sides. Ujiri admitted as much in his post-trade press conference on Jan. 18 and publicly apologized for his role in the breakup with Siakam.

Siakam was gracious about Wednesday's situation.

“Masai has always been a mentor, a person I look up to, but at some point it was like, 'I'm growing up, I'm a man,'” he said. “It's a relationship, man, I get it. I understand. I understand business. I've been around so I've seen things happen.

“I'm going further. I'm in a situation like I mentioned above, it just feels weird and at this point I think I've moved on. I don't like to think about it.”

Siakam averaged 21.9 points, 6.5 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game this season. Toronto and Indiana.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published on February 14, 2024.