The 3-Team Trade to Finally Move Pascal Siakam
What to do with Pascal Siakam?
The Toronto Raptors have a decision to make on Siakam—the almost-30-year-old NBA champion, two-time All-Star and current leading scorer on a mediocre 10-14 squad.
Siakam has been extension-eligible since July 6 and will be through the end of June. Do the Raptors reinvest in the only regular rotation player left from the 2018 title-winning roster? (Chris Boucher was a bit player.)
Or is it time to let him go? When asking other front offices, many are surprised he's still with Toronto, given the Raptors have shopped Siakam in trade for over a year. Apparently, those talks were just exploratory—but then so were conversations about Fred VanVleet, who ultimately left Toronto (with nothing in return) for the Houston Rockets as a free agent.
Do the Raptors tempt the same fate with Siakam? Is the market soft on the 6'8" power forward? Or is the bigger problem his $37.9 million expiring salary, which is not an easy number to move with the restrictive rules of the league's collective bargaining agreement?
Some in NBA circles believe the Raptors will extend Siakam themselves at a more reasonable figure—one large enough to please the player but team-friendly enough to trade over the offseason or ahead of next year's trade deadline.
That's a lot of steps, and staying in limbo doesn't seem like a great plan. If the Raptors can cash out Siakam for the right return, they should.
Now that trade season has unofficially begun, let's get to work.
Full Trade Details
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Raptors get:
- Jarace Walker (via Indiana Pacers)
- Jalen Smith (via Pacers)
- Dāvis Bertāns (via Oklahoma City Thunder)
- 2024 first-rounder* (via the Pacers)
- 2024 first-rounder** (via the Thunder)
Pacers get:
- Pascal Siakam (via Raptors)
- Garrett Temple (via Raptors)
- Christian Koloko (via Raptors)
Thunder get:
- Bruce Brown Jr. (via Pacers)
* The Pacers have their own first and the lowest first-rounder from the L.A. Clippers, Houston Rockets (top-4 protected) and Utah Jazz (top-10 protected). The Raptors would get the higher of the two from Indiana but put a top-14 protection on the Pacers' own selection.
** The Thunder have the three highest of the Clippers, Rockets (top-4 protected) and Jazz (top-10 protected). The second-highest of those three would convey to Toronto.
Why the Toronto Raptors Should Do It
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Nine teams have winning records in the Eastern Conference. The Raptors are in 10th place at four games below .500 with plenty of time to improve, but to what end? That's where they finished last year, losing in the play-in tournament after giving up a 19-point third-quarter lead.
If Scottie Barnes (22) is the team's future, Siakam will be winding down when Barnes is just starting to reach his prime. If the goal is to extend and trade Siakam later, waiting for some mystery box of a return may backfire (see VanVleet).
Instead, pair Barnes with 20-year-old rookie Walker from the Pacers. Recently drafted at No. 8, Walker is flush with potential, but he's buried on the bench on a Pacers squad (13-9) that advanced to the In-Season Tournament championship game.
If the Pacers are advancing their timeline, the Raptors should take advantage. Additionally, Smith is shooting 70.7 percent from the field with Indiana. The 6'10" forward/center was the No. 10 pick in 2020 by the Phoenix Suns. He's on an inexpensive contract at $5 million this season with a player option this summer at $5.4 million. The Raptors will have Smith's full rights if he chooses to explore free agency.
Bertāns represents salary filler. He's under contract for $17 million this season, followed by an early termination option at $16 million. While it's a certainty the veteran big won't opt out, only $5.25 million is guaranteed for 2024-25.
Finally, Toronto gets two first-rounders for Siakam, currently projected at Nos. 19 and 20. Walker is the prize going to Toronto, but the picks help. If there's an area to haggle, this is it—the Thunder have tremendous flexibility, but they won't give up a ton to facilitate.
Temple and Koloko are throw-ins to make the deal legal. If the Raptors prefer, they can cut another player instead of including Koloko, perhaps one of Thaddeus Young or Otto Porter Jr. (though both could be helpful as expiring salaries in some other future-leaning move for the franchise).
Why the Indiana Pacers Should Do It
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After getting destroyed by Anthony Davis in the IST and Giannis Antetokounmpo on Wednesday (scoring a career-high 64 points), the Pacers' void at power forward on the big stage couldn't be any clearer.
Not that Siakam will stop Davis or Antetokounmpo, but he can give it right back to opponents. Siakam was named to All-NBA teams in two of the past four years. He's shooting 50.4 percent from the field this season while dishing 5.0 assists per game. When teams try to trap the ball out of All-Star point guard Tyrese Haliburton's hands, Siakam is more than capable of creating a shot for himself or others.
He doesn't quite fit the age range of the rest of the Pacers, but team governor Herb Simon (89) has consistently pushed for his front office to try and build playoff teams instead of chasing the lottery. Indiana isn't typically a free-agent destination, and a viable extension needs to be hammered out with Siakam in advance at a number that works for both sides (even if he doesn't sign until the summer, pre-arranged deals are illegal but nonetheless common in the NBA).
It's a move that fills the team's most significant need and helps it win over the next few years. Siakam's age shouldn't be a significant factor for a few years. The cost should be acceptable, as Walker may be a couple of seasons away from contributing (with development slowed by the team's on-court success—see Jonathan Kuminga in Golden State with the Warriors).
Obi Toppin, who has helped the Pacers, can move to the bench. The team is struggling to find minutes for both Isaiah Jackson and Smith. Indiana is giving up a first but will still have one left in 2024 (currently projected at No. 24).
Brown was an opportunistic signing, and while important to date in Indiana, Siakam is an upgrade at the position of greatest need. Koloko is a young player to try and develop; Temple is a well-respected locker-room presence.
Why not Buddy Hield? The veteran shooter has become too important to the Pacers' play style, has a strong relationship with Haliburton and could be back on a new contract after this season.
Why the Oklahoma City Thunder Should Do It
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Thunder fans may ask, "Why didn't we get Siakam?"
Despite the team's current standing (third in the West), Oklahoma City (15-8) isn't going to speed up its timeline. Top executive Sam Presti will stay patient and isn't about to over-invest in a 30-year-old player just because he has the most extensive arsenal of draft picks in NBA history.
If the Thunder take that step in the playoffs, look for Presti to play his cards in the offseason. And that will be for a player who will fit long-term with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, Chet Holmgren and point guards Josh Giddey and/or Cason Wallace.
But that doesn't mean Presti won't make any moves this deadline, and Brown brings championship experience after his run with the Denver Nuggets last year. He signed a unique $22 million deal with the Pacers with a team option for 2024-25 at $23 million—so he either helps through 2025 on the court as a player or serves as a valuable expiring contract for the Thunder.
Brown is unique in that he can play all five positions despite his size (6'4"). He's a physical, strong defender and capable playmaker who should help relieve some pressure when teams trap Gilgeous-Alexander (in that Draymond Green short-roll role).
The Thunder could still use a true backup center to Holmgren, which may be attainable before the deadline with Aleksej Pokuševski's expiring contract and draft compensation (perhaps Mason Plumlee with the Clippers).
Brown is an upgrade to the roster. Bertāns is expendable, and the Thunder keep two first-rounders in 2024 (currently projected at Nos. 18 and 24) and maintain—or even improve—their flexibility moving forward.
Email Eric Pincus at eric.pincus@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter @EricPincus.
