TORONTO – After speaking with NBA officials, it’s clear that OG Anunoby’s contract has a direct impact on Pascal Siakam’s future in Toronto. What’s less certain, at least for now, but not for long, is how last weekend’s blockbuster deal with New York will affect the team’s leading scorer and All-Star forward. I’m saying that.
As Raptors team president Masai Ujiri and general manager Bobby Webster continue to regroup around Scottie Barnes and recently acquired Immanuel Quickley, pundits and multiple league sources are The overwhelming consensus is that Siakam will be next.
And he very well could too. The combination of a just-rejuvenated 24-year-old guard (and 23-year-old Canadian RJ Barrett) and 22-year-old Barnes doesn’t seem to bode well for Siakam, who will turn 30 before the end of the season.
But, as one person familiar with the situation warned this week, “there’s no need to be so sure.” It’s complicated and fluid, but with about a month until the Feb. 8 trade deadline, many are hopeful that some sort of resolution will be reached, whether it’s in the form of a trade or a new long-term contract.
Another source said, “I wouldn’t be surprised if they request an extension.”
In other words, the potential outcomes are wide-ranging, and in fact the Raptors are said to be keeping their options open and keeping it close to their chest, so no one can be sure how everything will work out. You can not.
After more than 12 months of speculation, they finally moved one of their coveted veteran players last Saturday. Anunoby and not Siakam caught much of the league off guard, as did the timing (six weeks before the deadline) and the trade partner (a team with a lawsuit).
The deal sends Anunoby, Precious Achiuwa and Malachi Flynn to the Knicks, who are currently building around Barnes in exchange for Quickley, Barrett and a 2024 second-round pick via Detroit. He officially signaled a change in philosophy for the franchise, which he is fully committed to. , is in its third season and is making a big splash.
It’s believed that they have listened to offers for Siakam and will continue to listen ahead of the deadline, but none of these talks have garnered much attention, at least for now. “Nothing is close,” officials said, which is why an extension is highly likely.
Even if the Raptors can’t find an offer to meet their asking price, which is and will continue to be high, they won’t and shouldn’t trade Siakam just to trade him. But they also can’t risk losing another key piece, and the last remaining player from their championship core, for free in free agency this summer.
Siakam, who is set to become an unrestricted free agent in July, can sign a four-year contract extension worth up to about $200 million through the end of June. The Raptors have yet to make an offer or even begin contract negotiations, and it’s unclear when or if negotiations will occur. Historically, Ujiri’s front office has prioritized tenure over salary when signing veteran players, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see a three-year offer just below Siakam’s max. But will that be enough to appease Siakam and his camp, who want to make the most of a contract that will see the two-time All-NBA forward play out his prime years?
As a pending free agent, Siakam has a lot of influence on what happens next month. Now that January has arrived, he is no longer eligible to sign a long-term extension with the team that acquired him midseason. Before pulling the trigger on a trade, interested teams will reach out to Siakam’s agent to get confirmation of his intention to re-sign over the summer. Without those guarantees, it’s hard to imagine the Raptors giving up the assets they need to justify a move. That means Siakam and his camp can effectively block trade to specific destinations, or any destination if they wish. Think of this as a no-trade clause, even though there isn’t actually a no-trade clause.
This has led some league officials to wonder whether the Raptors’ unusual and sometimes disrespectful treatment of Siakam dating back to last summer was intended to force or worse force him out. I’m holding you.
It’s hard to understand something like that, and even if there’s any truth to it, it’s even harder to tolerate given what Siakam and the organization mean to each other and have been together for the past eight seasons. It will be. Siakam came to Toronto as a relative unknown with the 27th overall pick out of Cameroon, but has gone on to become a two-time All-Star and All-NBA selection, an NBA champion, and, worst of all, a top-30 player in the league. grown. -5 Players in Franchise History – One of the most notable success stories in professional sports.
“I’m so proud of him,” Ujiri said after Siakam overcame struggles on and off the court and offseason shoulder surgery to return to pre-pandemic form during the 2021-22 season, when the team won a comfortable 48 games. Told. “I want that guy on my team. I want a fighter like that on my team…That’s the guy we want to go to war with and fight with.”
But after a disappointing 2022-23 season that ended with an embarrassing play-in loss to Chicago, Ujiri and Toronto’s front office cut off nearly all communication with Siakam last summer, making the seven-year veteran feel like he was being punished. The newspaper reported that he wondered if he was doing so. Sources of information close to the players. The lack of contact was especially strange since Siakam was in the final year of his contract. Typically, players of his caliber don’t get that close to free agency without signing an extension. Ujiri’s very public message to Siakam on media day: You have to earn it – the obvious implication being that he hasn’t earned it yet.
“We believe in Pascal,” Ujiri said in October. “We believe a lot of players didn’t make the right plays last year and we want to see them make the right plays. I said we were being selfish, but I’m It’s not like we’re running away from it. We were selfish and didn’t play the right way. So let’s look at it when we play the right way.”
Despite a slow start to the season, Siakam remains strong. He is averaging 25.9 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 4.8 assists on 58 percent shooting from the field over the last 14 games. Since going into the worst shooting slump of his life, or anyone else’s, he’s made 5-of-52 from deep in 15 games in November, shooting 46 percent from three-point range during that span. was. He adapted to new head coach Darko Lajakovic and his system, resulting in fewer touches, fewer shots and fewer playing minutes. And despite hearing his name come up over and over again in trade speculation, he continues to be a consummate professional, a tireless worker, and a good teammate. He’s done it all – he’s had to get used to it over the past 12 months.
How close was Siakam to being traded over the summer? Depending on who you ask, it’s clear there was very real interest from multiple teams, most notably Atlanta and Indiana, and very real consideration from the Raptors as well. Those teams remain in the mix, with several others showing varying degrees of interest, including Sacramento, Dallas, Memphis and Detroit. Even if Philadelphia and Golden State haven’t made a call yet, they could make a call and could be interesting enough to seek Siakam’s approval.
There are hurdles beyond getting Siakam’s blessing. The Raptors have indicated they will not consider offers centered on draft compensation. As with Anunoby, such packages exist, but Toronto is targeting young players with star upside.
Before Friday’s game in Sacramento, The Athletic’s Shams Charania noted that the Kings are serious suitors for Siakam. Less than two hours later, he reported that they were withdrawing. In fact, if Sacramento had reportedly been reluctant to part ways with rising sophomore forward Keegan Murray, it wouldn’t have taken long for negotiations to fall apart.
A look at disgruntled Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga, who the Raptors likely scouted extensively before drafting Barnes with the No. 4 overall pick (three spots above Kuminga) in 2021. Is there an arrangement? Indiana and Atlanta have no shortage of blue-chip prospects, including Pacers swingman and Canadian Benedict Mathurin and Hawks breakout third-year forward Jalen Johnson, who have offered them. Are you planning to include it? What does Toronto think of former No. 5 overall pick Jaden Ivey, who quickly fell out of favor with Detroit, and Josh Green of Dallas?
These are all things we will consider over the next few weeks. All the while, they’re evaluating. Evaluate – This has become something of a buzzword in Toronto, and it’s one that drew eye-rolls from Raptors fans not too long ago. The feeling before last weekend’s trade was that the front office had exhausted its evaluation period and had seen enough of what the team could and could not do. As it turned out, they didn’t agree. Now they actually have something to evaluate. After beating Cleveland on Monday in the debuts of Quickley and Barrett, Toronto split the first two games of a grueling six-game road trip on the West Coast, although Friday’s loss at Sacramento was a tough one. The Kings made 21 of 38 3-point attempts). It’s too early to say with certainty that this group of rookies will be viable long-term, but they’ve shown enough ability through three games to be intriguing.
Even if trading Siakam was his preferred path, Ujiri could influence his next move with the team’s and players’ performance, showing that he is willing to make the decision if the situation warrants it. There is. Siakam’s name will continue to be popular in rumors between now and the deadline, but rest assured the Raptors are in no rush to make another move. You can wait until February 8th for this if you want.
And perhaps it will end in the most awkward contract extension in recent memory, with neither team nor player feeling good about the opponent. It might make more sense for the Raptors to sign Siakam now and open the trade market for him again in six months, when his contract isn’t expiring and he’s likely to be worth more. . It’s never easy for Siakam, or for any player, to turn down a huge sum of money guaranteed, no matter how despised. In an era of player upgrades where free agency has all but disappeared, it’s not uncommon for star players to return to their clubs, collect their paychecks, and figure things out from there. Long-term contracts no longer have the same meaning as before. It locks you into a salary, but it certainly doesn’t marry you to a team.
Either way, the Raptors and Siakam story seems destined to reach its climax. Transparency is just around the corner.
