As is an annual tradition in the NBA now, the Toronto Raptors are at the center of trade rumors amid a disappointing start to the season, as many around the league wonder if this will finally be the year they trade Pascal Siakam and/or OG Anunoby.
Those two have come up in trade rumors for a few years now, but with Toronto not taking any steps forward under a new coach in Darko Rajakovic so far this season and both Anunoby and Siakam set to enter free agency this summer, it stands to reason that they would be more serious about trade talks this year. As for the top suitors for those two, Shams Charania reports three playoff hopefuls are going to be in the mix: Atlanta, Indiana, and Sacramento.
As Charania notes, the belief around the league is that Siakam is the more likely of the two to get traded. The difficulty in moving Siakam is he has All-Star/All-NBA potential but is not playing at his highest level this season and his camp made clear this summer he won’t be interested in signing an extension with a team that trades for him. That holds up his value on the market as an expiring that you aren’t guaranteed to keep beyond this season, and if he’s viewed potentially as just a rental, he’s unlikely to fetch as strong a return as Toronto surely wants. Anunoby, similarly, is highly valued by the Raptors and is expected to decline his player option for free agency, and if he is viewed as not a sure thing to sign long-term for a team trading for him, his value will also be lessened on the trade market.
It is a difficult position for the Raptors, but one they put themselves in by continuing to refuse trade offers in a misguided belief that Anunoby, Siakam, and Scottie Barnes (who is untouchable, per Shams) could all fit together and just needed a new system. That hasn’t been the case, which comes as little surprise to many observers, considering all three want to operate in similar areas of the floor and have overlapping skillsets. Now the question is whether Masai Ujiri, who is notoriously demanding in trade talks, is willing to recognize the situation and take a potentially lesser deal than he’d like under ideal circumstances for either Siakam or Anunoby, or if he will continue to ask for more than teams are willing to part with and risk losing another player (or two) in free agency this summer as happened with Fred VanVleet last offseason.
Atlanta was well-known as a Siakam suitor this summer, but could never get a deal across the finish line. Both they and the Raptors are off to disappointing starts to this season and that might be the right impetus for them to get back to talks and have a bit more urgency to get something done. The Pacers and Kings are both enjoying solid starts to this season but could be in the market for upgrades on the wing, looking to pair Siakam with a dynamic point guard — either De’Aaron Fox or Tyrese Haliburton — and hoping that unlocks his best play. Of those three, the Hawks seem like the most likely team to be willing to make a big shakeup given they’ve stumbled out of the gates this year, while Indiana and Sacramento will have to debate the pros and cons of making a considerable offer given the positive locker room vibes both are riding right now.