Report: Raptors Wouldn't Include Pascal Siakam in Kawhi Leonard Trade with Spurs
It turns out the San Antonio Spurs knew something about Pascal Siakam before he became a breakout star during the 2018-19 season.
On the Brian Windhorst & The Hoop Collective podcast (h/t RealGM.com), ESPN's Tim Bontemps reported the Spurs wanted Siakam and OG Anunoby as part of the Kawhi Leonard trade, but the Toronto Raptors refused to include either player.
The Spurs eventually settled on a deal for DeMar DeRozan, Jakob Poeltl and a protected first-round pick in 2019 to send Leonard and Danny Green to Toronto.
That deal, both in terms of who was included and who wasn't, turned out to be the best thing that ever happened to the Raptors franchise. Leonard has been the anchor that carried the team through the Eastern Conference playoffs en route to its first-ever appearance in the NBA Finals.
Siakam is one of three finalists, along with De'Aaron Fox of the Sacramento Kings and D'Angelo Russell of the Brooklyn Nets, for Most Improved Player. The 25-year-old set career highs with 16.9 points and 6.9 rebounds per game during the regular season.
In Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Thursday, Siakam scored 32 points on 14-of-17 shooting in a 118-109 win over the Golden State Warriors.
Anunoby has shown promise as a member of the Raptors bench rotation, averaging 12.5 points and 5.2 rebounds per 36 minutes as a 21-year-old in his second season.
San Antonio had a solid season, making the playoffs with a 48-34 record, but possibly adding Siakam to the rotation would have significantly improved the franchise's long-term outlook.
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