3 teams Raptors should avoid trading with as Pascal Siakam rumors heat up

1. Philadelphia 76ers

The 76ers will likely make some sort of move at the trade deadline, as Joel Embiid is continuing to put up preposterous numbers alongside an emerging star in Tyrese Maxey. Former Raps coach Nick Nurse may want to reunite with a player he knows better than any coach in the league in Siakam.

Assuming that Tobias Harris' big contract is not an appealing move for the Raptors, the best the 76ers could offer at this point in time is a Lakers-like amalgamation of backup players that wouldn't be able to equal Siakam if they all stood on their heads together. Why make this move?

Nick Nurse and the Philadelphia 76ers can't get Pascal Siakam.

Kelly Oubre is likely not going to be a very attractive headlining piece in any sort of Siakam deal, and the only other 76ers player averaging more than 7.0 points per game on the season is De'Anthony Melton. Does that sound like an adequate return for a player like Pascal?

While the impact of inter-division trades has likely been reduced due to how often teams outside of a division play one another, the possibility of trading Siakam to a hated rival and potentially watching him sign there would be a bad look.