Pascal Siakam has great quote about Raptors’ deadline chatter

The Toronto Raptors have been identified as one team that could potentially disrupt the entire trade market, as they have the potential to move some game-changers amid a shaky start to the season. Pascal Siakam likely won’t go anywhere, but his teammates may not be spared.

Names like OG Anunoby and Fred VanVleet, who came into the season as two people expected to carry the load for a playoff team, are in the rumor mill. While Masai Ujiri tries to figure out if a contender wants to mortgage a ton of picks and players in exchange for one of these names, Siakam is trying his best to block that noise out.

Per Aaron Rose of Sports Illustrated, Siakam is just keeping his head down and not focusing on the idea that he or one of his longtime teammates could be playing elsewhere by the end of the season. If the Raptors are going to dig themselves out of selling territory, he will need to be at his best.

“Literally doesn’t concern me,” Siakam said. “What is that going to get me to worry about what’s going to happen at the trade deadline? “Unless my phone starts ringing and it’s like you’re going somewhere, like, that’s the only thing. But other than that, I’m here. I’m coming to work every day.”

Pascal Siakam isn’t listening to Toronto Raptors trade rumors.

The latest rumors seem to suggest that the Raptors could make Gary Trent Jr. available in trade talks if they get an offer they can’t refuse. Some segments of the fanbase seem more inclined to move off VanVleet, given his upcoming free agency and efficiency struggles.

While the Raptors could get a haul bigger than what the Jazz got for Donovan Mitchell if they decide to trade Siakam away, Toronto doesn’t seem ready to push the big red button just yet. After all, Siakam is in the middle of the best season of his career by a very wide margin.

Suppose Siakam, who is averaging 25.7 points per game despite a lack of offensive support or bench depth, makes an All-NBA team for the second consecutive season and the third time in his career. In that case, he will become eligible for a supermax contract in the offseason. All signs point to Toronto building around him.

Siakam knows that feeding into all of the suspicion and rumor-mongering is only going to distract him from the task at hand. While he might have some new teammates by the end of the free agent period, as Ujiri is comfortable dealing away franchise icons, Siakam is just putting his head down and trying to grind out wins.