Raptors Rumors: Pascal Siakam Trade Viewed As "Inevitable"

The rumors have been swirling for months now — will the Toronto Raptors trade Pascal Siakam? The two-time All-NBA forward put up his best season last year, but with only one year remaining on his contract, at least one NBA Insider believes that a trade is "inevitable."

A Pascal Siakam trade is viewed as ‘inevitable,’ per @MarkG_Medina

“It seems inevitable the Toronto Raptors will deal Siakam. …They expect a strong deal for return in the form of quality rotation players, expiring contracts and draft picks, all qualities that help accelerate a… pic.twitter.com/LelaqUxZ4C

— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) August 8, 2023

Team leader Fred VanVleet has departed, and the Raptors are at a crossroads. Insider Mark Media says with the Raptors obviously entering a rebuild phase, Siakam is their best asset, and it makes sense.  

“It seems inevitable the Toronto Raptors will deal Siakam. It’s become increasingly clear the Raptors are not currently constructed to become a serious playoff threat. So what’s the point in running on empty calories just to finish in the middle of the standings?" asked Medina, rhetorically.

"They expect a strong deal for return in the form of quality rotation players, expiring contracts and draft picks, all qualities that help accelerate a rebuild.”

According to Insider Shams Charania, the Atlanta Hawks are the "strongest suitor" for him, and have "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."

Shams adds that Siakam has not requested a trade, and does not want to sign an extension with any team that traded for him. 

The 29-year-old Cameroonian averaged a career-high 24.2 points last season, with 7.8 rebounds and 5.8 assists. He made his second trip to the NBA All-Star game to go along with his two All-NBA selections. 

Siakam is heading into the final season of a 4 year, $137M contract, earning $37.9M in the coming campaign. 

Photo: Nick Turchiaro-USA TODAY Sports