Pascal Siakam shut down any notions of the Indiana Pacers' performance during the 2025-26 NBA season.
Tanking has become a hot topic heading into the All-Star break, especially after the league fined the Utah Jazz $500,000 for intentionally taking out starters in the fourth quarter. Indiana became embroiled in this controversy and was fined $100,000 for failing to properly report players who missed games due to injury.
The league has been cautious about the topic of tanking and is trying to maintain the integrity of the game. However, teams that know they are not competing this season are desperate to get the best pick, making the aspect of losing games more attractive as the season winds down.
Siakam expressed his thoughts on tanking during an interview with SiriusXM NBA Radio. He believes he has been giving his best effort in every game he has played this season, adding that he does not understand why the Pacers are being punished by the league.
"I don't know where it comes from... I play almost every game, I get the most minutes," Siakam said.
"I don't know where it comes from... I play almost every game, I have the most minutes."
Pascal Siakam says he doesn't want to get involved in 'tanking' conversation
(via @SiriusXMNBA)
- ClutchPoints (@clutchpoints) 15 February 2026
Pascal Siakam, what's next for the Pacers
Pascal Siakam remained active throughout the campaign and earned his fourth All-Star selection for the Pacers. However, when it comes to tanking, there is a reason Indiana is in the tough position they are in.
The Pacers were one win away from winning their first NBA title in franchise history. However, it cost him and the team as star guard Tyrese Haliburton tore his right Achilles in Game 7 of the NBA Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Haliburton is out for the entire campaign and Indiana faces several departures and injuries to the main rotation. As a result, the Pacers will miss the playoffs this season as they will need to restructure significantly to get back into playoff contention for the 2026-27 campaign.
Indiana has a 15–40 record on the season and is in 14th place in the Eastern Conference standings. They have the tiebreaker lead over the Washington Wizards but trail the Brooklyn Nets by one game and the Milwaukee Bucks by nine games.
The Pacers will remain on hiatus until the All-Star weekend festivities conclude. They will resume action on the road when they face the Wizards on February 19 at 7 PM ET and February 20 at 7 PM ET.
