All-NBA votes rob Raptors’ Pascal Siakam of supermax contract

Toronto Raptors star Pascal Siakam remains one of the most underrated players in the game, as he has been named an All-Star twice and put up All-NBA numbers twice in a three-season stint. Another All-NBA season would have put him in quite a rarified territory.

Siakam would have been supermax eligible if he made All-NBA for the second season in a row. After being named an All-Star and surpassing what he did last season in almost every category, things were certainly trending in that direction for the Cameroonian star forward.

Siakam was unable to reach those lofty heights this season, despite being named an All-Star for the second time in his career. The combination of a second-half slump and Toronto’s poor overall record was enough for the voters to eschew him from this elite team.

Siakam was not named to the All-NBA third team, which will cost him that supermax contract. Siakam finished with 15 voter points. With LeBron James ending up with 81 and barely sneaking onto the third team, Siakam didn’t exactly miss out on this by the skin of his teeth.

Toronto Raptors star Pascal Siakam misses out on All-NBA.

Siakam averaged 24.2 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 5.8 assists per game in what was his most productive season to date. His slight decline in the second half of the year can e attributed to new starting center Jakob Poeltl coming to town and taking some of his usual opportunities away from him.

Siakam has been the subject of some light trade rumors this offseason, but it is highly unlikely anything comes of this. He appears to be set in stone as the Raptors’ No. 1 offensive option once again as the team waits for Scottie Barnes to develop his game properly.

If anyone is happy about this decision, it might be the Raptors’ front office for penny-pinching reasons. With Siakam’s supermax leverage gone, the Raptors can save a boatload of future cash over the next decade if they choose to extend him, which could help fortify the bench.

With each passing season, Siakam’s status as an all-time great Raptor only grows. By the time his tenure in Toronto ends, it will be very difficult to imagine a scenario where he is not on the team’s proverbial Mount Rushmore. All-NBA voting be damned, Siakam remains a unique talent that is currently in the prime of his career.