The Atlanta Hawks and Indiana Pacers are the teams most connected to Toronto Raptors forward Pascal Siakam in trade rumors, according to a report from Michael Scotto at HoopsHype. The Raptors have not exactly made Siakam available, but Fred VanVleet’s departure from the franchise makes it seem like Toronto could pivot into a full rebuild.
There are a few things complicating a Siakam trade. The biggest factor is the player himself, who said he would not sign an extension with a team that trades for him. That means a team could risk losing him for nothing in free agency in 2024. Of course, that’s not going to stop a franchise that believes Siakam could be the missing piece to a title team. The Raptors did the same thing with Kawhi Leonard, although he’s better than Siakam.
The Hawks won’t break up their backcourt, and Bogdan Bogdanovic has a trade restriction after accepting an extension. That means De’Andre Hunter would likely have to be the centerpiece of a trade, and he’s already locked into a big contract. The Hawks would probably also like to deal Clint Capela, but the Raptors won’t take him back with Jakob Poeltl back. Does Siakam do enough for Atlanta to give up future draft picks, especially since he’s likely to leave in the summer?
The Pacers have a bit more to offer in terms of young talent, with Bennedict Mathurin and Jarace Walker likely being players Toronto would want. Would Indiana shift from its patient approach to go all-in with a player like Siakam? The forward would make the Pacers a playoff contender, but likely keeps them below the Bucks, Celtics, 76ers and Heat in the East.
For now, it seems like the Raptors will be patient with their core. The team’s performance will likely dictate what happens with Siakam, Gary Trent Jr. and OG Anunoby before the trade deadline.