The Toronto Raptors have been flooded with trade rumors in the last few months, with Pascal Siakam gaining some traction as a name to move if Toronto wants to rebuild fully. The latest rumors, however, make it seem like Toronto is not going to consummate a deal involving him.
According to Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report, the general buzz around Siakam as a trade target is not overly rosy. With Siakam a free agent after this season, teams don’t think he’ll be willing to commit to them long-term if the Raptors decide to move away from him.
Siakam’s intent is reportedly to stay with the Raptors well into the future, which will make teams less than thrilled over the possibility of trading for him. Siakam may have committed to Darko Rajakovic and his long-term vision for the on-court product.
There’s growing sentiment Toronto star Pascal Siakam — who’s on an expiring deal — would not re-sign with a team who attempts to trade for him as his preference is to remain with the Raptors, sources tell @NBAonTNT, @BleacherReport.
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) June 22, 2023
Toronto Raptors rumors: Pascal Siakam wants to stay.
Siakam is a year removed from an All-NBA appearance, and the only reason that he didn’t make it this season despite superior numbers is the fact that the Raptors had a much worse win-loss record. Pascal has proven that he can be a dominant force on the offensive end, should he be given lots of responsibility.
Teams like the Hawks have inquired about Siakam, but they might be hesitant to part with a big name like Dejounte Murray for a player who could essentially be a one-year rental. Whoever leaked this has made it complicated for Toronto to even think about moving him.
With Siakam likely staying, Gary Trent Jr. picking up his player option, and the possibility of a Fred VanVleet return still very much in play despite some general pessimism, there is a good chance that the Raptors end up “running it back” and retaining most of their players from last season.
Pascal Siakam reportedly has no desire to leave Toronto. 👀 pic.twitter.com/idKZ4nTl2q
— theScore (@theScore) June 22, 2023
It would have been hard to get adequate value for a player like Siakam, who has long held the title of one of the most underrated players in the entire league. The Raptors have some work to do this offseason, but they will likely do so while trying to build a team that features Siakam heavily.