The Toronto Raptors and Golden State Warriors have been grouped together as potential trade partners for the last few seasons, as sending Pascal Siakam to San Francisco for a collection of young players like Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody would seemingly give both teams what they need in the short term.
Even after acquiring RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley in the OG Anunoby trade, Toronto is keeping their listening ears wide open for any possible noise on a Siakam deal. Thanks to a clearly irritated Kuminga taking a blowtorch to Steve Kerr and his rotations, a trade with Golden State has become more likely.
Shams Charania of The Athletic quoted Kuminga directly criticizing Kerr and the Warriors front office, taking them to task for being unable to get the most out of him. Golden State might finally be at the point where they realize they are unable to keep everyone together as currently constructed and need to start making some moves.
The Warriors could be in need of a move, as their young core has disintegrated right in front of their eyes. Getting Siakam could help them get one last run out of their aging star-laden roster, but they might need to hand these three players over to Toronto to get a deal done with the notoriously stingy Masai Ujiri.
3 Golden State Warriors players the Toronto Raptors must target in Pascal Siakam trade.
3. SG Moses Moody
Moody is also frustrated with his role in Golden State, as his camp believes that Golden State isn't doing much to maximize his talents. Perhaps a reunion in Toronto might be what unlocks his talent, as he and Scottie Barnes were teammates at Montverde Academy in high school.
Moody improved his scoring from 4.8 points per game last year to 8.2 per game this season with only a slight minutes increase. Moody has hit 47% of his shots and 33% of his 3-pointers, and the former lottery pick is still young enough to where Toronto can justify rolling the dice on him.
Moses Moody could get more minutes with the Toronto Raptors.
Gradey Dick's underwhelming rookie season has left a gigantic hole in the rotation, and Moody would be able to slide right in to fill that vacancy. While not an amazing defender, he can be trusted enough in this area to lock down a spot. Perhaps Moody could be brought in as an early replacement for a possible free agent.
Gary Trent Jr. is a free agent who doesn't seem to be in the team's plans for next season barring a big reversal. Moody could be a high-ceiling replacement in the same way Trent stepped on the gas pedal after he arrived in Toronto from Portland. Given his pedigree, such a risk might make sense.
2. SF Andrew Wiggins
Raptors fans have been debating the stats of RJ Barrett. Some believe he is a valuable asset for the rebuild, while some think he was a byproduct of a trade made primarily to acquire Immanuel Quickley. Such debates would not happen with Wiggins, who would be a complete salary filler at this point.
Had this trade happened last year, this would have been a whole different story, as Wiggins was a tremendous wing scorer fresh off playing a key role in a championship run. His decline in efficiency and sudden benching have cratered his value, but he likely needs to be included to make the money work.
Could Andrew Wiggins thrive with the Toronto Raptors?
In the same way Toronto is hoping a change of scenery would do wonders for Barrett, Wiggins might need to head out of Golden State. While he wouldn't be viewed as a possible long-term piece like Barrett due to his age, the Raptors can at least get an extended test run to see just how much he has left in the tank.
If he stinks, Toronto can look into offloading the contract in the offseason. If he gets back to the same player who was both incredibly difficult to guard in Minnesota and ideally situated for his role in Golden State, the sting of losing Siakam could be lessened just a bit.
1. PF Jonathan Kuminga
If you could draw a player up on a board that was born to play for an Ujiri team (other than OG Anunonby), Kuminga looks like he's straight out of central casting. A 6-8 power forward with length and raw athletic ability, every coach dreams if getting a player like Kuminga to work with.
Where Kuminga differs from a player like Precious Achiuwa is his much higher floor on the offensive end. Kuminga has always shot over 50% from the field, but his versatility is what will ultimately bring him to such a rare, elevated tier that Ujiri might be tempted to move Siakam for him.
The Toronto Raptors could trade for Jonathan Kuminga.
Stop me if you heard this one before. Kuminga is a freakish talent with a limitless ceiling, but he won't reach it until he starts taking and making more 3-pointers. In his third season, his attempts remain stagnant and his percentage is starting to regress heavily. This will not stand under Darko Rajakovic.
If Scottie Barnes can go from a net negative to well above average in that area in one offseason, there's no reason why Kuminga can't become at least respectable in this area. If Toronto thinks they can crack this code, they might be more cavalier about sending Siakam somewhere else.