NBA insider Mark Medina believes the Toronto Raptors will trade Pascal Siakam. The Raptors are open to trading Siakam for the right price since they are hesitant to offer him a max contract extension. Siakam is eligible for a contract extension since he has one year left on his deal.
“It seems inevitable the Toronto Raptors will deal Siakam,” Medina, who covers the NBA for multiple sites, told GIVEMESPORT. “It’s become increasingly clear the Raptors are not currently constructed to become a serious playoff threat. So what’s the point in running on empty calories just to finish in the middle of the standings?”
“It seems unpredictable, however, on when the Raptors trade Siakam. They expect a strong deal for return in the form of quality rotation players, expiring contracts and draft picks, all qualities that help accelerate a rebuild.”
Siakam signed a four-year, $136 million rookie contract extension with the Raptors in October 2019. He will make $37.9 million next season. Toronto lost the 9-10 NBA play-in game to the Chicago Bulls and didn’t make the 2023 NBA playoffs. Nick Nurse was fired as head coach and replaced by Darko Rajakovic and Fred VanVleet left the Raptors for the Houston Rockets in NBA free agency.
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Pascal Siakam & Toronto Raptors Updates
The Atlanta Hawks and Indiana Pacers have been the two NBA teams most prominently connected to Siakam in trade talks. Siakam has career NBA averages of 17.0 points, 6.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists. He won the 2019 NBA championship and the 2018-19 Most Improved Player of the Year Award.
The Hawks have been trying to trade for Siakam all offseason, sources told NBA Analysis Network, as the franchise wants to pair the two-time All-Star with star guards Trae Young and Dejounte Murray. Meanwhile, the Pacers are trying to acquire more win-now talent around rising All-Star Tyrese Haliburton.
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Pascal Siakam & Toronto Raptors Updates
Siakam averaged 24.2 points, 7.8 rebounds and 5.8 assists last season for the Raptors while shooting 48.0% from the field, 32.4% from beyond the arc and 77.4% from the free-throw line. He’s one of the top forwards in the NBA.
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