One NBA insider thinks Toronto Raptors star Pascal Siakam is worth at least one unprotected first-round pick and a decent young player, plus salary filler.
Grant Hughes of Bleacher Report believes Siakam is the fifth-best trade target on the market right now.
“It’s difficult to know what teams would be willing to surrender for Siakam’s expiring $37.9 million salary—especially with the risk of him walking a year from now,” Hughes wrote. “Rentals like that don’t tend to command huge returns. But the 29-year-old two-way star is coming off the highest scoring average of his career (24.2 points per game) and is younger than all but one of the other big names we’ll feature on this list.
“Siakam has to be worth at least one unprotected first-round pick and a decent young player, plus salary filler. And if he softens his stance on re-signing with his new team, the price could go up significantly.”
Siakam signed a four-year, $136 million rookie contract extension with the Raptors in October 2019. He will make $37.9 million in 2023-24. The swingman averaged 24.2 points, 7.8 rebounds and 5.8 assists last season while shooting 48.0% from the field, 32.4% from beyond the arc and 77.4% from the free-throw line.
Toronto lost the 9-10 play-in game to the Chicago Bulls and didn’t make the 2023 playoffs. Nick Nurse was fired as head coach and replaced by Darko Rajakovic.
Opposing front offices still believe the Raptors’ high valuation of their players, such as Siakam and OG Anunoby, marks the biggest roadblock to any potential trade. The Portland Trail Blazers were once linked to Siakam, but they won’t be pursuing him anymore since Damian Lillard has requested a trade. The Atlanta Hawks have been trying to trade for Siakam all summer, sources told NBA Analysis Network.
Any team trying to trade for Siakam must be careful, as according to Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report and TNT, Siakam prefers to stay with the Raptors and the forward may not re-sign with a team who trades for him.
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