[Shams] The Toronto Raptors crossroads with Pascal Siakam – plus the offer that’s come closest for the two-time All-Star
🏀 The Toronto Raptors crossroads with Pascal Siakam – plus the offer that’s come closest for the two-time All-Star
🏀 Where things stand with Damian Lillard and James Harden
🆕 Inside Pass at @TheAthletic: https://t.co/GlR01paqV2
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) August 8, 2023
by drecz
9 Comments
Trade OG not Siakam
Click on link – bam. Paywall to signup.
Get through to article – bam. Paywall for The Athletic.
Full excerpt related to raptors:
> This will be Siakam’s eighth NBA season, so he can sign for 30 percent of the salary cap either now via extension or next offseason as a free agent with the Raptors or any other franchise. The Raptors are eligible to sign Siakam to a maximum contract extension of four years and at least $192 million. Thus far, there have been no substantive conversations surrounding an extension, league sources involved in the discussions who are not authorized to speak publicly tell The Athletic. And for Siakam’s part, the two-way stalwart has never requested to be traded, those sources added.
> Several teams have shown interest in pursuing Siakam via trade over the past three months, but the external market has been tempered a bit due to the fact that it’s been made clear, league sources say, that Siakam would not extend with a team that trades for him. Still, the Atlanta Hawks have been the strongest suitor for Siakam, and talks between them and Toronto were fluid and ongoing as recently as Las Vegas Summer League in July.
> Atlanta has offered a package centered around De’Andre Hunter, AJ Griffin and draft compensation to Toronto for Siakam, league sources say. But the Raptors are believed to have upped the price on any possible deal at each turn.
> For now, talks are at a complete pause, and the Hawks are fully prepared to enter the 2023-24 season with their current team, according to league sources. For now, Siakam is a Raptor, and even without an extension, he could very well remain one through the trade deadline.
> The Raptors have been heading toward this moment of truth since at least last season’s trade deadline. Although they could have been sellers, in the back half of the Play-In Tournament with four of their top five players within the last two years of their contracts, the Raptors went out and added Jakob Poeltl, surrendering a top-six protected first-round pick in 2024. They retained Poeltl on a four-year, $80 million contract in the offseason. However, they lost their starting point guard, Fred VanVleet, to a maximum-value two-year offer (plus a team option for a third year) from Houston. Offers at the trade deadline for VanVleet were not overwhelming, but losing a core contributor for no return was not the desired outcome. There were also multi-pick offers for O.G. Anunoby
> If VanVleet had come back, the Raptors could have gone into next year with a starting five that, while short on shooting, outscored their opponents by 59 points in 313 total minutes last season, a net rating of 9.5 points per 100 possessions. The Raptors acted quickly to VanVleet’s departure, signing free agent Dennis Schröder with the non-taxpayer midlevel exception, but he is the only proven point guard on the roster.
> More likely, third-year point forward Scottie Barnes will take a larger share of the playmaking duties. As is, putting together a good half-court offense with so little perimeter shooting will be tough for first-time head coach Darko Rajaković.
> Siakam and Gary Trent, who is also extension-eligible, will become unrestricted free agents next summer if they do not sign deals before then. The Raptors could offer Anunoby an extension in October, but it is capped at around $117 million over four years, a number that would likely be easily surpassed in free agency. He can also become an unrestricted free agent next summer if he declines a $19.9 million player option.
Just trade him already. What a negative distraction
*Manifesting the Pascal 4/192 max extension*
Likely 3 FAs again going into the next off-season. I’m shocked.
It’s clear we want to give our ‘24 FRP to Spurs.
If we trade pascal mid-year, we can still draft in ‘24, just with a higher Hawks’ picks than if we traded them Pascal now and make them stronger
God I forgot that GTJ hasn’t signed an extension either. What a mess of uncertainty for next summer.
Also if this is true… wtf
> Thus far, there have been no substantive conversations surrounding an extension, league sources involved in the discussions who are not authorized to speak publicly tell The Athletic.
Trade deadline doesn’t exist. We can get the same offers in the summer!