Pascal Siakam shut down any notion of the Indiana Pacers tanking throughout the 2025-26 NBA season.
Tanking has become a hot topic going 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 got caught in the fray, getting a $100,000 fine for failing to properly report players who won't take part in a game due to injury.
The league has been cautious about the tanking topic, trying to keep the integrity of the game intact. However, teams who know they aren't competing this season yearn to get the best picks, which makes the losing games aspect more appealing as the season winds down.
Siakam revealed his thoughts on tanking during an interview with SiriusXM NBA Radio. He believes he is putting forth all the effort he can throughout every game he's played in this season, not understanding why the Pacers are getting punishments from the league.
“I don't know where that comes from… I play almost every game, I have the most minutes,” Siakam said.
“I don't know where that comes from… I play almost every game, I have the most minutes.”
Pascal Siakam says that he does not want to be in the ‘tanking’ conversations 😳
(via @SiriusXMNBA)
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) February 15, 2026
What lies ahead for Pascal Siakam, Pacers
Pascal Siakam has been active throughout the campaign, earning his fourth All-Star selection on the Pacers' behalf. However, when it comes to tanking, Indiana has a reason to be in the tough situation they are in.
The Pacers were one win away from winning their first NBA title in franchise history. However, star guard Tyrese Haliburton tore his right Achilles as it cost him and the team in Game 7 of the NBA Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Haliburton is out for the entire campaign and Indiana suffered multiple departures and injuries in the main rotation. As a result, the Pacers won't make the playoffs this season as they will need to regroup in a significant way to get back to playoff contention for the 2026-27 campaign.
Indiana has a 15-40 record on the season, sitting at 14th place in the Eastern Conference standings. They have a tiebreaker advantage over the Washington Wizards but trail the Brooklyn Nets by one game and the Milwaukee Bucks by nine games.
The Pacers remain on hiatus until the All-Star Weekend festivities come to a close. They will resume action on the road when they face the Wizards on a back-to-back on Feb. 19 at 7 p.m. ET and Feb. 20 at 7 p.m. ET.
