Kings OK with trade for Raptors’ Pascal Siakam even if he doesn’t re-sign?

The Sacramento Kings may be trying to go all in, this season, with the future potentially being darned.

At least, that may be the case when it comes to attempting to land Raptors forward Pascal Siakam.

Per Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer, the Kings may be willing to trade for Siakam even without assurances that he would re-sign with the team beyond this season. Siakam, 29, is eligible to be an unrestricted free agent in July.

Of course, Sacramento wouldn’t mortgage the farm for such an arrangement. Instead, the Kings are looking to move shooting guard Kevin Huerter and forward Harrison Barnes.

“My understanding is that the Kings would still trade for Siakam even without the assurance that he’d re-sign, but his lack of commitment certainly changes the assets they’d be willing to give up alongside Harrison Barnes and Kevin Huerter,” O’Connor wrote. “Odds are, the Kings would get outbid by a team that’s more optimistic that Siakam would stick around past this season.

“Whether it’s Siakam or someone else, Sacramento’s goal is to turn Barnes, Huerter, and Davion Mitchell into upgrades to bolster the team’s odds of making a deep playoff run this season.”

So, yes, according to O’Connor, the Kings may be looking to shake up things a little even if the return isn’t Siakam.

After winning the Pacific Division last season, finishing with the No. 3 playoff seed, they currently sit in fifth in the Western Conference.

Along with the Kings, the Indiana Pacers, Golden State Warriors, Dallas Mavericks and Atlanta Hawks have all been linked to Siakam. 

Per Sam Amick of The Athletic, Siakam doesn’t view the Kings as a good fit and is hoping not to be traded to Sacramento. That’s a bit surprising, given the Kings are a franchise on the rise.

Meanwhile, the Pacers are believed to be the leaders in the Siakam sweepstakes. They reportedly have been building trade packages around shooting guard Buddy Hield.