The rumors about TRANSPORT of Pascal Siakam They never stop growing. Before Free Agency, Marc Stein at Substack reported that the Hawks were trying to get the Raptors to part ways with the two-time All-Star to no avail. Since then, Sportsnet’s Michael Grange reported that, in addition to Atlanta, Indiana has shut down Siakam and Orlando is “Another team worth watching“.
While there are other potential landing spots for Siakam, the Hawks, Pacers and Magic are the three teams most linked to him. Which of them could garner the best offer?
It’s time to take a look at what each of these three teams could realistically offer the Raptors for Siakam.
Where will Pascal Siakam play? Three transport destinations
Atlanta Hacks
Why would the Raptors say yes
Bogdan Bogdanovic has been linked to Toronto in the past and, like Raptors coach Darko Rajakovic, is a Serbian native. Bogdanovic and DeAndre Hunter are enough to match Siakam’s salary. The Canadiens would probably ask more of themselves, but the Hawks could include a combination of Onyeka Okongwu, Saddiq Bey, Kobe Bufkin and AJ Griffin.
Okongwu is one of the best young interiors in the NBA, and Bufkin came close to making it to Canada in the last Draft, as reported by ESPN’s Jonathan Givony.
Why would the Raptors say no
With Fred VanVleet putting Houston on the road, Toronto’s biggest need right now is a point guard. The problem? Atlanta is reportedly not interested in trading Trae Young, and Dejounte Murray may not be traded for several months after agreeing to a new extension.
What further limits the Hawks is that they can currently offer at most two first-round picks: one from the Kings in 2024 and their own in 2029 or 2030. Even with Siakam entering the final year of his contract , the Raptors can probably do better.
Indiana Pacers
Why would the Raptors say yes
Toronto has also been linked to Myles Turner in the past, but Indiana’s target is almost certain to keep both him and Tyrese Haliburton. Even without them, the Pacers have some interesting players they could offer the Canadiens.
Buddy Hield and Daniel Theis or TJ McConnell would likely be a salary-matching spot. Hield is a brilliant shooter, Theis is a solid backup center, and McConnell is a useful backup point guard. Assuming Bennedict Mathurin and Jarace Walker are out of the trade, Andrew Nembhard, a Canadian point guard coming off a promising rookie season, would be rather attractive to the Raptors.
Unlike the Hawks, the Pacers have complete control over their future first-round picks.
Why would the Raptors say no
The 30-year-old Hield would give the Raptors depth on the wings, but he doesn’t fit the team’s schedule. Theis and McConnell are both replacements, so the Canadian franchise should go for Nembhard. That’s because it would be strange to convince the Pacers to part with Mathurin, a Canadian underdog who has the makings of a great scorer, or Walker, a dynamic defender with a good 3-pointer.
The point in the Pacers’ favor is that they could offer more options than the Hawks. That might be appealing to a rebuilding Raptors, but will it be enough?
Orlando Magic
Why would the Raptors say yes
There are some players in Orlando that make sense for the Raptors. He’s struggled with injuries, but Jonathan Isaac is a great forward with All-Defensive potential. Toronto tried out Jalen Suggs before the 2021 Draft and Cole Anthony was scoring the team’s points at point guard. Jett Howard, the 11th pick in 2023, almost ended up in Canada.
The Orlando Magic have complete control over their players in the first round, which is important.
Why would the Raptors say no
Isaac has played a total of 11 games over the last three seasons, the Raptors passed on Suggs in the 2021 Draft, Anthony might be the best shooter off the bench, and Howard wouldn’t fit. Another option is Markelle Fultz who had a promising 2022-2023 season but also has an extensive injury history.
The Orlando Magic may need to assemble a package around Franz Wagner or multiple first-round picks to really get the Raptors’ attention.
The views expressed here do not necessarily represent those of the NBA or its organizations.
