Pascal Siakam Not Requesting Trade from Raptors amid Rumors, Agent Says

Pascal Siakam isn't looking to leave the only NBA team he has ever known.

His agent, Todd Ramasar, told SiriusXM NBA Radio, "from our camp we are not requesting any type of movement" from the Toronto Raptors.

The comments come after Jason Anderson of the Sacramento Bee reported the Raptors have received "numerous calls" regarding Siakam even though a trade is unlikely in part because the forward "has no desire to be moved despite the possibility of a rebuilding situation in Toronto."

Whether Toronto moves toward more of a rebuild by trading Siakam remains one of the bigger storylines of the offseason.

On the one hand, the trio of Siakam, Fred VanVleet and OG Anunoby could help the Raptors compete for a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. However, the team no longer has Kawhi Leonard and Kyle Lowry from the championship-winning group of 2019 and likely wouldn't be much of a factor past the first round.

Moving Siakam could help Toronto shift toward the future with young pieces such as Scottie Barnes.

NBA insider Marc Stein (h/t HoopsHype) reported many around the league saw Toronto's decision to select Barnes with the No. 4 overall pick of the 2021 draft indicated the team might be willing to move Siakam before the 2021-22 campaign begins.

Whether he remains with the Raptors or joins another team, Siakam has built an impressive resume that includes the 2018-19 Most Improved Player, a championship, an All-Star selection and a 2019-20 All-NBA Second Team selection.

While he didn't have the accolades in 2020-21, he was still productive and averaged 21.4 points, 7.2 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 1.1 steals per game while shooting 45.5 percent from the field and 29.7 percent from three-point range.

Siakam is just 27 years old and could be a foundational piece for a contender if the Raptors do trade him, although he apparently isn't looking to be moved.