According to ESPN, the Indiana Pacers traded James Wiseman and cash considerations to the Toronto Raptors on Thursday. It’s unclear what the Pacers will receive from the Raptors, but they could get a top-55 protected pick, per Pacers beat writer Dustin Dopirak. The Pacers pulled off the trade with the Raptors just minutes before the NBA’s trade deadline closed at 3:00 p.m. Eastern on Thursday.
Indiana Pacers-Toronto Raptors Trade
The Indiana Pacers and Toronto Raptors’ trade could’ve been described as high-profile, but the NBA world can decide for themselves. On Thursday, ESPN’s Shams Charania posted on X, “The Indiana Pacers are trading James Wiseman and cash to the Toronto Raptors, sources tell ESPN.” Charania’s post attracted plenty of attention, including some X users implying that following the NBA’s trades distracted them from their everyday lives.
The Indianapolis Star’s Dustin Dopirak followed up with an X post, “The Pacers are trading Wiseman and cash considerations to the Raptors for a top-55 protected pick.” Dopirak added in another X post, “I thought I put this out there, but the top-55 protected pick (which is unlikely to convey) is in the 2026 draft.” Dopirak’s posts weren’t finalized at the time of writing, but they were descriptive nonetheless.
Pacers-Raptors Trade Outlook
The Indiana Pacers and Toronto Raptors’ trade outlook was a tale of two halves. The Pacers reportedly wanted to gain financial savings. Wiseman signed with the Pacers this past summer but sustained a torn Achilles in Indiana’s first game of the 2024-25 NBA season. Wiseman hasn’t played since then and is almost certain to miss all of the 2024-25 season.
Wiseman was on a two-year, minimum-salary contract, with the second year covered by a team option. Any team not hard-capped could accept a player with a minimum salary, and the Raptors ended up accepting Wiseman. The Pacers are now $2.4 million shy of the luxury tax with 14 players, while the Raptors gain an undisclosed amount of cash for taking Wiseman’s contract.
Pacers and Raptors’ Next Steps
Indiana and Toronto’s next steps would be their upcoming games. The Pacers will take on the Los Angeles Clippers in the Intuit Dome on Thursday night at 7:30 p.m. Pacific and seek to start a new winning streak. The Raptors will take on the Western Conference-leading Oklahoma City Thunder in the Paycom Center on Friday at 7:00 p.m. Central and seek to end a two-game losing skid.
For the Raptors, the trade for Wiseman could turn out to be a positive in the end. When healthy, Wiseman is a solid rebounder, shot-blocker, and rim finisher. But, for now, Toronto’s trade late in the NBA’s trade deadline has the potential to become a high-quality trade as time passes. Maybe Wiseman’s apparent bad luck will end in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, and Wiseman can be the Raptors’ next hopeless-turned-hope story.
