Opposing teams seem to think Toronto Raptors forward Pascal Siakam will become available this season, and if so, there will be no shortage of interest.
Per Shams Charania of The Athletic, if Siakam does become available, the Atlanta Hawks, Sacramento Kings and Indiana Pacers would be among those likely in pursuit.
Siakam, 29, is 6-foot-8 and actually has been in trade rumors for at least a year, maybe more. But as is generally the case, the Raptors’ front office of president Masai Ujiri and general manager Bobby Webster have set their prices high, per reports.
That would especially be the case for a player such as Siakam, who’s averaging 20.7 points, 6.9 rebounds and 5.0 assists in 2 games this season.
“Around the league, many expect the Raptors to scan their options all the way up until the trade deadline,” Charania wrote. “And negotiations with the Raptors will always be, in the words of one rival executive, ‘a game of chicken.'”
Siakam is in the final year of a contract that will pay him $37.9 million.
Meanwhile, any of the teams listed could use a player such as Siakam — who could put any of the three (Hawks, Kings, Pacers) even more into the thick of things when it comes to contention. That is, of course, depending on what they’d have to give up in return.
Toronto may also explore trades involving forward OG Anunoby, another player with an expiring deal. The Hawks, Kings, and Pacers would also have interest in Anunoby, Charania noted.
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