Toronto Raptors forward Pascal Siakam beats out De'Aaron Fox and D'Angelo Russell to win the 2019 Most Improved Player award.

The third-year veteran averaged 16.9 points, 6.9 rebounds and 3.1 assists last season. He became a vital part of the Raptors' first-ever championship win — arguably the team's second best player in the NBA Finals behind Kawhi Leonard.

Siakam was able to beat Brooklyn Nets All-Star D'Angelo Russell and Sacramento Kings guard De'Aaron Fox for the MIP award, proving that he's on his way to becoming a superstar in the league. Here are the final results, with the Kings' Buddy Hield also receiving a number of votes:

But for the Raptors forward, it really didn't matter if he won or not. For him, his performance last season was just the beginning. He promised to put in the work that's necessary for him to become a better player next season.

Even with Siakam on board, the Raptors are still facing one of the most important summers of their franchise, as they hope to re-sign Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard in free agency to strengthen their chances of winning back-to-back titles. They are pretty optimistic about their chances, but there are still those who believe that the All-NBA forward would leave Toronto and head to LA to join either the Clippers or the Lakers.

But even if that happens, the Raptors' future is bright. With Siakam ready to take the next step next season, expect him to have a better production whether or not Kawhi leaves the team this summer.