With the Toronto Raptors sending OG Anunoby to the New York Knicks, the word around the league is that they might finally be ready to break up their roster and rebuild, this time for good.
According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, moving Anunoby was just the first domino to fall up north. Now, Masai Ujiri is looking forward to finding a trade partner for his other veteran soon-to-be free agent, Pascal Siakam.
Siakam was supposed to be the Raptors’ franchise player in the post-Kawhi Leonard era, and that wasn’t the case. Even so, he’s always been a valuable two-way player who could be just what a pretender needs to become a real and legitimate NBA championship contender.
His deal is set to expire after this season, which is something to consider when making a run at him. He hasn’t actively pushed to be traded, but the fact that he hasn’t talked about extending his stay either speaks volumes of his desire to leave.
Pascal Siakam of the Toronto Raptors.
NBA Rumors: Landing Spots For Pascal Siakam
Siakam isn’t getting any younger, and he’s likely looking to get the last big payday of his career with whoever trades for him. That’s another big factor to consider here.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at some of the teams that could realistically look to make a run at him. Where would he thrive the most? Where could he pursue another ring? Let’s break it down.
3. Atlanta Hawks
While we don’t think of the Atlanta Hawks as a championship contender, they were reportedly quite aggressive in their pursuit of Siakam in the offseason, shortly after moving John Collins. That interest in Siakam hasn’t dissipated at all, according to the latest reports.
The Hawks could deploy an all-shooter lineup with Siakam as a slightly undersized center, or they could even play him next to either Clint Capela or Onyeka Onkogwu. They do have the assets to pull this trade off.
Pascal Siakam
2. Sacramento Kings
The Sacramento Kings have already shown that they won’t hesitate to do whatever it takes to get better, even if that means taking big risks. Well, they could do that by pairing Siakam with Domantas Sabonis, and they were reportedly keeping tabs on him earlier in the season.
The Kings could use Keegan Murray at the three and play with a jumbo lineup. They’d have multiple passers and shot-creators on the floor at the same time. Nonetheless, it seems like it could also create several spacing problems.
1. Golden State Warriors
The Golden State Warriors have also been linked with Siakam for quite a while now. However, Draymond Green’s suspension may have been a blessing in disguise for them, as it finally allowed them to unleash Jonathan Kuminga, so they might not be interested in him anymore.
Even so, this just makes too much sense for Steve Kerr’s system. He’s a seamless fit for what they do, being a great passer for someone his size and a somewhat undersized big who can play within his role. They could use his scoring touch.
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