Pascal Siakam

If the Toronto Raptors trade Pascal Siakam ahead of the NBA's Feb. 8 deadline, the team that acquires him shouldn't expect to sign him to an extension before the end of the 2023-24 season.

Any team that acquires Siakam will only be eligible to offer him a two-year extension, and the veteran "would prefer, again, to proceed to unrestricted free agency … meaning that any team that trades for him now must be daring enough to roll those dice," according to NBA insider Marc Stein.

Additionally, the list of potential Siakam suitors continues to grow as Stein reports that the Dallas Mavericks and Memphis Grizzlies could emerge alongside the Atlanta Hawks, Indiana Pacers and Sacramento Kings as contenders for his services.

Siakam is eligible to sign a four-year, $202.3 million extension and will be eligible for a five-year supermax deal worth around $304 million if he makes the All-NBA team this year.

That said, it's no surprise he's not open to signing just a two-year deal if the Raptors trade him this winter.

But while teams appear to remain interested in Siakam's services, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported Saturday that there has been "no traction" in trade talks involving the veteran after the deal that sent OG Anunoby from Toronto to the New York Knicks.

However, Yahoo Sports' Jake Fischer added at the time that "league personnel are certainly prepared for a Siakam trade to follow suit."

Although Siakam is reportedly uninterested in signing an extension if traded, he would still be a tremendous addition to any contending team.

The 29-year-old, who has spent his entire eight-year career with the Raptors, is a two-time All-Star, 2019 NBA champion and has made an All-NBA team twice. In 32 games this season, he's averaging 21.9 points, 6.6 rebounds and 5.1 assists while shooting 51.2 percent from the floor and 26.1 percent from deep.

The Mavericks are certainly already contenders with a starting lineup that includes Luka Dončić, Kyrie Irving and Dereck Lively II. However, Siakam would undoubtedly be an upgrade over Grant Williams at the four.

Memphis also has a solid starting five with Ja Morant, Marcus Smart, Desmond Bane and Jaren Jackson Jr., but adding Siakam into the mix would help the franchise better contend with the likes of the Denver Nuggets and Minnesota Timberwolves in the Western Conference.

Following their blockbuster trade with the New York Knicks on Saturday, the Toronto Raptors are reportedly open to moving two-time All-Star forward Pascal Siakam as well.

According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, the Raptors are exploring trades involving Siakam, but there has been "no traction" in those talks yet. Yahoo Sports' Jake Fischer added that "league personnel are certainly prepared for a Siakam trade to follow suit."

Wojnarowski initially reported Saturday that the Raptors agreed to send OG Anunoby and Precious Achiuwa to the Knicks for RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley and the Detroit Pistons' 2024 second-round draft pick.

Anunoby was likely to become a free agent at the end of the season by declining his option. while Siakam's contract officially expires after the current campaign.

The 29-year-old Siakam is in the midst of his eighth NBA season, all of which have been spent in Toronto.

In 2018-19, Siakam was named the NBA's Most Improved Player, and he played a key role in Toronto winning its first and only championship that season.

When Kawhi Leonard left in free agency after just one season, Siakam became the Raptors' go-to guy and earned All-Star selection in 2019-20 and last season.

After averaging a career-high 24.2 points per game last season, Siakam is putting up 21.5 points, 6.6 rebounds and 5.2 assists per contest in 31 games this season.

The Raptors lost longtime starting point guard and leader Fred VanVleet to the Houston Rockets in free agency during the offseason, and it has seemingly taken a toll on the team, as they are just 12-19 so far this season.

With Toronto on the fringes of playoff contention and highly unlikely to be championship contenders, trading Siakam rather than potentially letting him walk for nothing in free agency as it did with VanVleet may be the best course of action.

The Raptors already have a talented, young core in place with Scottie Barnes, Barrett and Quickley, and trading Siakam would likely bring in more young players and draft picks.

Toronto may not be able to get quite as much for Siakam as it could have last year or the year before since he is on an expiring contract, but a contending team would likely part with a solid package for a player who consistently averages over 20 points per game.

The Toronto Raptors have been heavily included in trade rumors this winter amid a disappointing start to the 2023-24 campaign, but it appears the franchise isn't ready to enter full teardown mode just yet.

The Raptors have "no appetite for a reset, teardown or rebuild" ahead of the Feb. 8 trade deadline, according to Sportsnet's Michael Grange.

Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby—two of Toronto's biggest stars—have been linked in trade rumors over the last month with teams like the Indiana Pacers, Detroit Pistons and Atlanta Hawks among those reportedly interested in their services.

Siakam is in the final year of his contract and is set to hit free agency this summer. While he has been one of Toronto's best players since making his debut in 2016, the Raptors currently have no plans to offer him an extension tight now, Grange reported.

Grange wrote:

To start with, not in the plan for the moment is an extension for Siakam, who can sign with Toronto for up to four years and $192 million until June 30. There have been framework-type conversations since the early days of the season, per league sources, and each side has eyed Dec. 30 as a potential impetus to reach decision. Given that no agreement has been reached, it seems safe to infer the Raptors' interests lie in something closer to the three-year extension that they offered at the beginning of the 2022-23 season that Siakam rejected.

Anunoby, meanwhile, has a player option for 2024-25 worth $19.9 million that he can decline to become a free agent this summer.

It's unclear where the Raptors stand on offering Anunoby an extension, though the "consensus" among NBA executives who spoke with Michael Scotto of HoopsHype is that Siakam "would be the one more likely of the two players to be traded."

Although the Raptors sit 12th in the Eastern Conference with a 12-18 record, Siakam continues to play well. He's averaging 21.3 points, 6.7 rebounds and 5.2 assists in 30 games while shooting 50.7 percent from the floor and 24.1 percent from deep.

The same can be said for Anunoby, who's averaging 15.2 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.7 assists in 26 games while shooting 48.6 percent from the floor and 37.1 percent from deep.

If the Raptors have no plans of entering a full rebuild, they're going to have to make some significant roster additions either at the trade deadline or over the summer if they hope to compete with the Eastern Conference's best.

Amid their historic losing streak, the Detroit Pistons are reportedly targeting several players ahead of free agency during the offseason.

During an appearance on FanDuel TV's Run It Back on Wednesday, Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium said the Pistons want to add a power forward between now and the start of next season, and he named Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby of the Toronto Raptors, Tobias Harris of the Philadelphia 76ers and Miles Bridges of the Charlotte Hornets as potential targets:

The Pistons set the single-season NBA record for consecutive losses with 27 on Tuesday, bringing their overall record to 2-28 this season.

Siakam, Anunoby, Harris and Bridges can all potentially become free agents at the conclusion of the 2023-24 season, as Siakam, Harris and Bridges will see their contracts expire, while Anunoby has a player option for next season.

Both Siakam and Anunoby were part of the Raptors' championship team in 2019, but they have become far bigger contributors in the years since then following Kawhi Leonard's departure.

The 29-year-old Siakam is a two-time All-Star and he is enjoying another strong statistical season, averaging 21.3 points, 6.7 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game.

Anunoby, 26, is more of a wing than a 4, but he could be a strong fit as a complementary player alongside Cade Cunningham, Jalen Duren and some of the Pistons other young talent.

Anunoby is a strong defensive player who has averaged at least one steal per game in each of the past five seasons, and so far this season he is putting up 14.8 points, 3.9 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 2.2 three-pointers made and 1.0 steal per game.

With the Raptors already losing Fred VanVleet to the Houston Rockets in free agency this past offseason, they could also let both Siakam and Anunoby walk in order to rebuild around Scottie Barnes.

Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey have received much of the credit for the Sixers' success this season, but Harris has contributed in a significant way as well.

The 31-year-old veteran is enjoying his best statistical season since 2020-21, averaging 17.0 points, 6.1 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game for the 20-9 76ers.

Harris spent parts of three seasons in Detroit earlier in his career, and that familiarity could make them a logical fit if the Sixers are unwilling or unable to pay Harris in free agency.

Bridges, 25, has the highest ceiling of any of the players the Pistons are rumored to be targeting, but he also comes with baggage, as he missed the entire 2022-23 season and the start of the 2023-24 campaign after being charged with felony counts of injuring a child's parent and child abuse.

He pleaded no contest to the charges, and while he was placed on probation, he avoided jail time.

Bridges is averaging 19.8 points, 7.2 rebounds, 2.6 assists1.9 three-pointers made and 1.4 steals in 17 games this season, and he would perhaps give the Pistons another star to play alongside Cunningham despite the character concerns.

Per Charania, the Pistons will have a ton of money to spend during the offseason and owner Tom Gores wants to make some moves in order to improve the team.

The Pistons seem like they are far away from contending given their abysmal record this season, but if they can sign one of the aforementioned players and get more draft capital for some of the veterans on their team currently, they have a chance to turn things around more quickly than one may think.

Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby are two of the biggest trade candidates on the market this winter, but it appears the Toronto Raptors could be more likely to move on from one player than the other.

Among NBA executives who spoke with Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, the "consensus" is that Siakam "would be the one more likely of the two players to be traded."

Siakam is in the final year of his contract with the Raptors and Anunoby holds a player option worth $19.9 million for 2024-25 that he's likely to decline to hit free agency this summer.

With the Raptors continuing to fall out of playoff contention in the Eastern Conference, sitting 12th with an 11-16 record, it's no surprise the franchise is considering moving on from two of its best players and beginning a rebuild.

Siakam is being eyed by a number of teams, including the Atlanta Hawks, Indiana Pacers and Sacramento Kings. Anunoby is also drawing plenty of interest, with the Philadelphia 76ers and New York Knicks reportedly among the teams keeping tabs on him.

Siakam has spent his entire eight-year career in Toronto, helping the franchise win an NBA title in 2019. And despite the team's woes this season, he's still playing some solid basketball, averaging 21.0 points, 6.7 rebounds and 4.9 assists in 27 games while shooting 50.7 percent from the floor and 26.0 percent from deep.

Anunoby has also spent his entire career with the Raptors and was a member of the team's 2019 title-winning squad. Through 23 games this season, he's averaging 14.7 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.5 assists while shooting 46.9 percent from the floor and 37.2 percent from deep.

Perhaps the Raptors view Siakam as the more valuable player, meaning they could receive larger assets in exchange for the veteran. Or maybe they just simply don't want to pay him once he hits free agency.

Regardless, it's unclear what the Raptors are looking for in exchange from either player, but there's no doubt either would be a tremendous addition to a championship-contending squad.

Pascal Siakam has played 495 games for the Toronto Raptors, having spent his entire eight-year NBA career with the franchise. A two-time All-Star, the 29-year-old forward was part of the Raptors when they won their first championship in 2019.

It makes sense why Toronto has held onto Siakam and continued to build around the 6-foot-8 standout from Cameroon. However, it could soon make greater sense for the Raptors to consider shopping Siakam ahead of the NBA trade deadline on Feb. 8.

According to Michael Grange of Sportsnet, there is expected to be a "fairly robust market" for Siakam as trade discussions occur over the next two months. One potential suitor? Perhaps the Atlanta Hawks.

"The Hawks and Raptors discussed various permutations of a trade for Siakam this past summer," Grange wrote, "with things advancing enough that Atlanta had contacted Siakam's representation to take measure of how open the eight-year veteran would be to signing an extension with the Hawks if the deal went through."

If Atlanta was that serious about trying to acquire Siakam, then it could be part of the market for the forward now that the 2023-24 season is underway. That could especially be the case if he's open to inking a long-term deal with the franchise.

Siakam, who is making $37.89 million this season, is set to become an unrestricted free agent next summer. It would cost the Hawks quite a bit to keep him around beyond the end of the season.

But Siakam would likely be worth it. He is averaging 21.2 points, 6.8 rebounds and 5.0 assists through 24 games this season. He has averaged at least 21 points per contest every season dating back to the 2019-20 campaign.

Atlanta is 10-14 and sitting in 10th in the Eastern Conference. It could use an additional star player to help it move up the standings, and Siakam would surely fill that role.

Siakam could be a great fit in a Hawks lineup that features the talented backcourt of Trae Young and Dejounte Murray. Siakam would then give the team a much stronger presence in the post.

However, Toronto may be looking for a solid return in a trade, even though Siakam is in a contract year. Grange noted the Raptors "aren't known for selling low," so that could impact potential negotiations with trade partners.

As long as the cost isn't too high, Atlanta should make a strong push to land Siakam. And if it can ensure he'll sign a long-term extension as well, then it would make sense for the Hawks to part with some draft capital to pull off a trade.