Grade the Trade: B/R has Raptors making horrendous Pascal Siakam swap with Nets

The Toronto Raptors appear to be less willing to move off Pascal Siakam than they did a few weeks ago. Due to the Atlanta Hawks’ inadequate offer and the Raptors’ own desire to compete for a postseason spot this season, Toronto looks willing to hold on to their Cameroonian star.

That hasn’t stopped fans of rival teams and media outlets from trying to pre-plan the Siakam exit. Even though it would take an act of God for the Raptors to trade Siakam to a rival team inside the division, that hasn’t stopped Bleacher Report from trying to make this marriage happen.

The Brooklyn Nets have some of the assets to theoretically pull off a Siakam trade, even if doing so would go against everything Masai Ujiri is trying to do in terms of building a team who can win the division. Even with that statement, the trades continue to fly.

Bleacher Report decided that the Raptors would be interested in trading Siakam to the Nets in exchange for a package centered around Ben Simmons, of all people. Apparently, having the worst season of his career and being one of the worst contracts in any sport right now is not enough of a deterrent for a Raptors team that might want to trade a franchise icon.

Grade the Trade: B/R’s Raptors-Nets Pascal Siakam swap makes little sense.

This is just…confusing. Trading Siakam in the division is bad enough, but doing so for a package headlined by one of the biggest offensive black holes in the sport in Simmons would be as baffling as any move Ujiri has ever made. Simmons is a negative asset, not a prized player to trade Siakam for.

The picks, one of which is protected lightly, wouldn’t be as desirable an asset due to the fact they are so far in the future. If trading Siakam is partially a financial move, why on Earth would taking on the Simmons contract put Toronto in a better spot? Free agents-to-be OG Anunoby and Gary Trent Jr. would still be flight risks.

Thomas would be a terrific addition to the Raptors, but taking on arguably the worst contract in the league without getting a ton of worthwhile picks in return would be a good way for Ujiri to feel the full force of an aggravated Toronto fan base. Such a move would set this team back considerably.

Grade: D