The Hawks have been the most connected team to Pascal Siakam this offseason, and a recent report suggests it is just a matter of time before the All-Star forward is dealt.
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
With the Raptors rebuilding their roster and Siakam heading to free agency at the end of the upcoming season, they don’t have much choice but to get as much as they can for him in a trade.
However, according to most, the asking price has been sky-high for a rental that has made it known he does not intend to immediately sign an extension with whoever trades for him. That’s made getting the most value difficult for the Raptors, but eventually, they are going to have to sell Siakam to the highest bidder.
The Hawks have the pieces to facilitate a deal, but they seem to be understandably hesitant to part ways with multiple of their young players for somebody who could just be a rental. A third team might need to get involved to make a deal work, or what about four?
Toronto Raptors Receive: De’Andre Hunter, Tim Hardaway Jr., Maxi Kleber, James Bouknight, Vit Krejci, a 2029 first-round pick from Atlanta and a 2030 first-round pick swap from Atlanta
Atlanta Hawks Receive: Pascal Siakam, Gordon Hayward and a 2027 first-round pick from Dallas
Dallas Mavericks Receive: Clint Capela, Thaddeus Young and Kelly Oubre Jr. (sign-and-trade)
Charlotte Hornets Receive: Bogdan Bogdanović, Otto Porter Jr. and Christian Wood (sign-and-trade)
There’s a lot to unpack here. The Hawks unload a ton of money in the form of Clint Capela, Bogdan Bogdanovic, and De’Andre Hunter. They also take a lot of money back on by acquiring Pascal Siakam and Gordan Hayward. However, both of those players are on expiring deals. So, not only do the Hawks land Siakam, but they also clear up a ton of cap space for the future.
I’m not in love with the idea of trading Bogdanovic. He just signed an extension with the team and is extremely valuable as a sniper from behind the arc, especially in an offensive system like Quin Snyder’s. With that being said, Hayward provides a similar skill set and even more upside if he can stay healthy. His $31.5 million salary for next season will almost certainly be an overpay, but the fact that there is only one year remaining on his contract makes it a lot more palatable.
De’Andre Hunter and Clint Capela also find new homes in this hypothetical, but that always seemed likely in any potential Siakam trade. They are both quality players, but you have to give up something to acquire an All-Star caliber talent, and this also allows the Hawks to hang onto all of their younger players.
The premise of this deal is intriguing for Atlanta. They make themselves financially free moving forward, acquire some pieces that could make them better next season, and open up some opportunities for their youth. I wouldn’t hate it, but I don’t imagine the Siakam trade needs to be this complicated for him to be moved.
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Photo: Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire
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