Raptors news: Hawks nearly had Pascal Siakam deal, two-way signing cut

With every game the Toronto Raptors lose, including a painful loss against the Charlotte Hornets despite LaMelo Ball's injury and Scottie Barnes' career night, the rumors of a Pascal Siakam trade are going to get louder. They won't cease as the wins become harder to come by.

With Toronto seemingly testing the waters for a Siakam trade in the past, such a move wouldn't be surprising to this fanbase anymore. Toronto has been very open about building around Barnes, and the Atlanta Hawks seem like one of many teams that could take Masai Ujiri up on that offer.

According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, the rumblings connecting Siakam to Atlanta appear to have been quite strong, as there was a finite offer on the table. Toronto denied the offer, but they may need to revisit if they keep spiraling down the standings.

"Atlanta felt like they were close and that they had a good, a pretty good package for Pascal Siakam last summer in July," Charania said. " There [were] some pretty intense conversations back and forth with a deal centered around De'Andre Hunter, AJ Griffin, and draft compensation and the deal did not get done so we will see as we get closer over the next several months." 

More Raptors news

• Former Raptors forward Yuta Watanabe said he wanted to stay with Toronto in free agency, so much so that he told his agent to set up a 905 reunion if the Raps weren't interested. Ultimately, Watanabe latched on with the Nets and impressed to the point where the Phoenix Suns were impressed enough to sign him.
• The Raptors cut ties with two-way signing Ron Harper Jr. after a season-ending injury. Toronto signed Jontay Porter, a 6-9 low-post big who is the brother of Nuggets star Michael Porter jr, to replace him. Harper didn't seem discouraged by the setback, as he thanked the Raptors for everything they gave him and said he was "forever grateful" for his experience.

NBA news

• The Los Angeles Lakers were crowned the inaugural In-Season Tournament winners, taking down the Indiana Pacers in the process. The $500,000 grand prize will be awarded to every member of the team, including the first-ever In-Season Tournament MVP in the mercurial LeBron James.
• While the San Antonio Spurs continue to lose, Victor Wembanyama set yet another record in his terrific rookie season. In a loss against the Chicago Bulls, Wembanyama became the youngest player in NBA history to record 20 points and 20 rebounds in the same game. The legend just keeps growing.