The Toronto Raptors are in the process of shaking up their roster after sending OG Anunoby to the New York Knicks for a player-focused package. This has led to big rumors about Pascal Siakam’s future, with teams like the Hawks, Pacers, Kings, and Mavericks already trying to make a move.
Regardless of which team Pascal ends up with this winter, Marc Stein believes he will be entering free agency regardless.
“Siakam would prefer, again, to proceed to unrestricted free agency… meaning that any team that trades for him now must be daring enough to roll those dice.”
A two-year extension may not be what Siakam is looking for in 2024, as the forward will turn 32 years old. He will be looking to cement his place in the NBA with a long-term extension that is also really lucrative. The Raptors have been hesitant in offering that to him and are now in a position where they can’t offer him more than two years on an extension.
Siakam is averaging 22.4 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 5.0 assists this season. It’s a down year for him but he’s still one of the most productive forwards in the NBA. Many teams could catapult themselves into contention with a move for Siakam, but they need to weigh the cost of him possibly walking in free agency if they’re unwilling to give him a max contract.
Will Pascal Siakam Find A Home This Winter?
Anunoby getting traded has raised anticipation for Toronto’s next move, as players like Siakam and Gary Trent Jr. are presumed to also be traded away for assets soon. Trent Jr. is easier to trade, as teams would take a chance on his expiring contract for a low price to see if his 3-and-D skill set can help them. Siakam is a much harder trade to figure out given his high-level production requiring a trade price that teams may be unwilling to play due to Siakam’s impending free agency.
People were shocked to see that Anunoby was traded away without any attached first-round picks, which could be because of his status as a free agent as well. The Raptors got two rotational players for Anunoby in Immanuel Quickley and R.J. Barrett, so they could be looking for a similar trade that leaves them with a solid roster to make a playoff push.
Teams like the Hawks could pounce on Siakam, a player they’ve targetted since the summer. With the uncertainty around Dejounte Murray’s future, the Raptors can add a high-level guard in a deal for Siakam. If they want to go a different route, they could get a young talent like Josh Green in a deal with the Mavericks.
If the Kings offer Keegan Murray for Siakam, the Raptors likely say yes to it as soon as possible. There is plenty of interest in Siakam but the price will be a hard point to figure out. He could just stay with the franchise until the summer, so we could see this saga end with Siakam signing to a team with cap space or getting sign-and-traded in the summer. He could be traded as soon as next week, but it seems Toronto will be careful about trading away their best home-grown talent in franchise history.
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