When a star player in the NBA looks likely to get traded, there’s usually an explanation. Often, that player wants to leave. A trade request is reason enough to move a player. Nobody wants a disgruntled star in their locker room.
Yet, that’s not always the explanation. Sometimes, circumstances simply dictate that it would make sense to trade someone. That’s the situation with Pascal Siakam and the Toronto Raptors.
After all, the Raptors missed the playoffs last season. They’ve got a similar and much younger player in Scottie Barnes to build around. All signs point to the Raptors moving Siakam this summer. Could they send him to the New York Knicks?
The Trade Proposal
Toronto Raptors Receive: G/F RJ Barrett, G Immanuel Quickley, 2026 First-Round Pick (NYK), 2028 First-Round Pick (NYK), 2030 First-Round Pick (NYK)
New York Knicks Receive: F/C Pascal Siakam
With that said, the Raptors likely didn’t see an overlap between Siakam and Barnes. If anything, they saw an opportunity. For the last couple of years, this team has had a clear strategy. The Raptors have attempted to double down on playmaking wings with plus positional size. How has that gone?
Not so well. The Raptors struggled to create in the half-court. They’ve got a surplus of playmaking, but this team is lacking play finishers and floor spacing.
NBA TRADES, NEWS & RUMORS: Pascal Siakam, Toronto Raptors & New York Knicks Updates
Perhaps there’s a lesson here. You can try to double down, but realistically, a balanced team has a better chance of winning NBA games. Does this deal give the Knicks enough balance?
Why The New York Knicks Do The Deal
Some fans will think otherwise. They’ll say that the Knicks will run into the same frontcourt log jam that the Raptors have with this deal. Fair. On the other hand, there’s a functional difference between Barnes and Julus Randle. Barnes is a spotty shooter at best. By contrast, Randle can be an absolutely lethal one.
How will the Knicks assemble their lineup? It’s hard to say. They could look to trade Mitchell Robinson elsewhere and start Siakam at the 5. Alternatively, they could slot Siakam in at the 3 and lean into jumbo ball.
NBA TRADES, NEWS & RUMORS: Pascal Siakam, Toronto Raptors & New York Knicks Updates
Either way, this is about acquiring an elite player. The Knicks can hammer out the details later. They’d be significantly improving their win-now odds by upgrading the talent on their roster. Should the Raptors let them?
Why The Toronto Raptors Do The Deal
Meanwhile, this deal doesn’t necessarily improve the fit of Toronto’s roster, either. How does Barrett fit alongside OG Anunoby? It’s hard to say. At the same time, the Raptors could move Barrett to the 2 and continue running a size-based lineup.
Either way, the same justification applies to the Raptors here. This is about getting value for Siakam. The Raptors are flipping Siakam for two young, quality players and three unprotected first-round picks.
NBA TRADES, NEWS & RUMORS: Pascal Siakam, Toronto Raptors & New York Knicks Updates
Finally, the fact that Barrett is Canadian doesn’t hurt. At times, the Raptors have struggled to attract marquee talent. Landing a player who likely fantasized about wearing their jersey as a child doesn’t hurt. If he breaks out, Barrett isn’t likely to request a trade.
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