Toronto Raptors

Former Toronto Raptors center Christian Koloko has a career-threatening blood clot issue, and he is currently unable to play or practice in the NBA until he is cleared by the league's Fitness-to-Play Panel.

Shams Charania of Stadium and The Athletic reported the news on Thursday.

Former Raptors center Christian Koloko has a blood clot issue that is threatening his basketball career, details on @TheRally: pic.twitter.com/ZpNV5FG9uJ

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) January 18, 2024

Charania noted that there hasn't been a "shortage of suitors in teams interested" in Koloko ever since he was waived to make room for incoming Raptors Bruce Brown Jr., Kira Lewis Jr. and Jordan Nwora in the team's recent trade with the Indiana Pacers for Pascal Siakam.

Unfortunately, Koloko has been out indefinitely since October with what has been described as "respiratory issues." Raptors president Masai Ujiri refrained from commenting further on his medical status at a Thursday press conference.

"His medical status is now in the hands of the NBA and I can't comment on it. That's a really tough one. He's someone we really believed in." - Masai Ujiri on Christian Koloko

— Chris Walder (@WalderSports) January 18, 2024

Obviously, this is a very serious situation, with Koloko's health paramount above all. Hopefully the talented ex-Arizona center is able to return to the league someday and fulfill the promise he showed in college.

The Raps selected Koloko with the No. 33 overall pick out of Arizona. He earned First-team All-Pac-12 honors and was named the conference's Defensive Player of the Year in 2022.

Koloko didn't see much playing time in his rookie year but flashed his potential, especially on defense, averaging 3.1 points, 2.9 rebounds and 1.0 blocks per game (58 contests, 19 starts).

The Toronto Raptors apparently aren't done making moves this season.

After trading Pascal Siakam to the Indiana Pacers and moving OG Anunoby to the New York Knicks, Raptors president Masai Ujiri said "definitely" when asked if there will be more trades ahead of the February deadline, per Michael Grange of Sportsnet.

This is quite the shift in strategy from last year.

While there was no shortage of rumors surrounding Toronto, it decided to not move any of its marquee pieces ahead of the 2023 deadline. That proved costly, as it ended up losing to the Chicago Bulls in the play-in tournament instead of enjoying a deep postseason run.

Then Fred VanVleet signed with the Houston Rockets as a free agent.

Ujiri clearly didn't want to see Siakam and Anunoby leave for other teams without getting something in return after the VanVleet exit. Siakam is set for free agency during the upcoming offseason, while Anunoby has a player option for 2024-25 and could also become a free agent if he doesn't exercise it.

"The lines of communication were not that great …I apologized to him for it," Ujiri said of how the Siakam situation was handled over the last year, per Grange.

Shifting into something of a rebuilding mode makes sense for the Raptors, who are in 12th place in the Eastern Conference at 16-25. The roster that was constructed heading into the 2023-24 campaign was not going to compete for a championship, so focusing on future assets seems to be the correct approach.

In the Siakam trade alone, the Raptors landed three first-round picks. In the Anunoby trade, Toronto brought back 23-year-old RJ Barrett and a contract that extends through the 2026-27 campaign.

Perhaps Ujiri can use those picks and surround Barrett with several talented players in the coming years. There may even be more picks or young players coming if Toronto makes another move or two before February's deadline.

It appears a supermax contract was never in the cards for Pascal Siakam in Toronto.

The Toronto Raptors "didn't plan to pay Siakam the supermax even if he qualified for it," according to Sportnet's Michael Grange.

"An exception might be made if Siakam was first-team all-NBA, figured prominently in the MVP conversation, and led the Raptors on a deep playoff run," Grange added.

The Raptors traded Siakam to the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday in exchange for Bruce Brown, Jordan Nwora and three first-round picks, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

Siakam was eligible to sign a four-year, $202.3 million extension with the Raptors prior to the trade. He would have also become eligible for a five-year supermax deal worth around $304 million if he made an All-NBA team in Toronto this year.

Now that he's a Pacer, Siakam is only eligible to sign a two-year extension in Indiana prior to the end of the 2023-24 campaign. He can sign a larger deal in free agency, which is expected.

While NBA insider Marc Stein reported Jan. 1 that Siakam would unlikely sign an extension if traded this winter, Wojnarowski reported Wednesday that the veteran forward "is excited about the deal to the Pacers and expected to be eager to work out a new contract with the franchise this summer."

Siakam was one of the hottest trade candidates on the market this winter alongside former Raptor OG Anunoby, who was traded to the New York Knicks prior to the deal between Toronto and Indiana.

Although the Raptors received some solid players in exchange for both Siakam and Anunoby, including Brown, Immanuel Quickley and RJ Barrett, the franchise is widely expected to enter a rebuild even before offloading two of its biggest stars.

Toronto is in the midst of a highly disappointing season, sitting 12th in the Eastern Conference with a 15-25 record and boasting little chance to secure a playoff berth.

The Pacers, meanwhile, are hoping to contend for a title with a roster now headlined by Siakam, Tyrese Haliburton and Myles Turner. The franchise sits sixth in the Eastern Conference with a 23-17 record and is just one game back of the No. 4 seed.

Siakam is a big upgrade from Jalen Smith, and it'll be interesting to see how the veteran works alongside Haliburton and Turner.

The Toronto Raptors have traded two-time All-NBA forward Pascal Siakam to the Indiana Pacers for Bruce Brown, Jordan Nwora and three first-round picks, per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. The Raps will also add guard Kira Lewis from the New Orleans Pelicans in the three-team deal.

Here's a look at how the Raptors are constructed post-trade, alongside notes on their 2024-25 salary cap.

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Starting Lineup and Bench

• G Immanuel Quickley

• F/G RJ Barrett

• G/F Bruce Brown

• F/G Scottie Barnes

• C Jakob Poeltl (injured)

---

Remaining Roster

G Dennis Schröder, G Gary Trent Jr., F Chris Boucher, F Jalen McDaniels, G/F Gradey Dick, F Thaddeus Young, G Javon Freeman-Liberty, G/F Garrett Temple, G Kira Lewis, F Jordan Nwora, C Christian Koloko (illness), F Otto Porter Jr. (injured), G Markquis Nowell (two-way contract), F/C Jontay Porter

---

Salary Cap

As of now, the Raptors have a 2024-25 salary cap figure of $88,766,433 spread across R.J. Barrett, Jakob Poeltl, Dennis Schröder, Chris Boucher, Scottie Barnes, Gradey Dick and Jalen McDaniels.

The Raptors already made a big move earlier this season by offloading OG Anunoby in a five-player deal with the New York Knicks. Now, the full rebuild is on.

It's fair to wonder whether the Raptors are done here. At this point, the team is embracing a full youth movement. Brown could be a candidate to be traded again with his attractive contract potentially going off the books in 2024-25 (team option).

The savvy, jack-of-all-trades veteran was a key piece to the Denver Nuggets' championship run last year, and he could be a possible asset elsewhere this year.

Poeltl probably isn't going anywhere given his contract, which may run through 2027 at $19.5 million per year if he picks up his 2026-27 player option. That prohibitive deal (plus an injured ankle) complicates matters as the Feb. 8 trade deadline nears, although like Brown, he would be a good addition to a rotation anywhere he goes.

Right now, though, the Raptors are playing for the future, developing the young talent they have and hoping to land stars down the road with their first-round picks. The books have been (mostly) well-cleared for the future too, so Raptors president Masai Ujiri has the foundation to get to work and potentially construct another perennial playoff and championship contender.

Toronto Raptors forward Pascal Siakam, whose name has been prominently featured in trade rumors, could be on his way to the Indiana Pacers.

Shams Charania and Sam Amick of The Athletic reported the latest Tuesday evening:

"The Raptors and Pacers are actively engaged in trade talks centered around two-time All-Star forward Pascal Siakam that would send him to Indiana for a package that includes Bruce Brown Jr., other salaries and three first-round draft picks, league sources tell The Athletic."

The Athletic duo added that "conversations with the Pacers have gained steam in recent days," further noting that "several back-and-forth proposals" have been discussed.

The Raptors and Pacers are reportedly "far along in the process," but the two teams have yet to finalize a trade.

Michael Grange of Sportsnet added his insight on the report:

Re: Shams report: I don't get sense anything is imminent, but who knows. Pacers have been in mix for a while & Raptors have been in active talks w/ teams -- Pacers among them - for a while. We'll see if this gets pushed over line or if it's just a sign market is ramping up.

— Michael Grange (@michaelgrange) January 17, 2024

The Siakam-Pacers connection isn't new, with reporters such as Grange, Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports and ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski linking the two in some fashion this month.

But now it appears that the Raptors and Pacers are engaging in serious discussions regarding Siakam, a two-time All-NBA forward and impending free agent who averaged 22.2 points, 6.3 rebounds and 4.9 assists per game last year.

The reported asking price is certainly a hefty one, as three first-round draft picks comprise an eye-opening package to start. That's without even considering Brown, the sixth man of last year's championship-winning Denver Nuggets team. He has fared well in Indiana, averaging 12.1 points on 47.5 percent shooting, 4.7 rebounds and 3.0 assists in his 33 starts.

Toronto is clearly in rebuilding mode as it sifts through a losing season. It has already dealt OG Anunoby to the New York Knicks in a five-player deal, and now Siakam could be gone as well.

Given the smoke around Siakam trade rumors, it seems inevitable he'll be playing elsewhere by the Feb. 8 trade deadline.

Plus, there's the fact that the Raps and Siakam are "nowhere close" on extension talks, per Wojnarowski on NBA Today (h/t RealGM), further adding fuel to the fire that Toronto could offload him to get any sort of return before he potentially enters free agency.

Meanwhile, the Pacers obviously are in win-now mode, especially with superstar guard Tyrese Haliburton enjoying a breakout season that could well end with an All-NBA team appearance.

Indiana is sixth in the East at 23-17, and the team sports the league's top scoring offense. Adding Siakam would make the Pacers even more dangerous as they attempt to reach greater heights.

A fine was surely coming for Toronto Raptors head coach Darko Rajaković, and the NBA levied it Thursday.

The NBA announced it fined Rajaković $25,000 for publicly criticizing the officials following his team's 132-131 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday.

ESPN transcribed some of his quotes in which he was upset about the disparity in the calls in the fourth quarter:

"It's outrageous. What happened tonight, this is completely B.S. This is shame. Shame for the referees. Shame for the league to allow this. Twenty-three free throws for them, and we get two free throws in the fourth quarter? Like, how to play the game? I understand respect for All-Stars and all that, but we have star players on our team as well.

"How [is it] possible that Scottie Barnes, who is All-Star-caliber player in this league, he goes every single time to the rim with force and trying to get to the rim without flopping and not trying to get foul calls, he gets two free throws for a whole game? How is that possible? How are you going to explain that to me?"

Los Angeles shot 23 free throws in the fourth quarter alone and ended up with a 36-13 advantage for the game. Anthony Davis alone shot 11 free throws in the fourth and 14 for the game, which was more than the entire Toronto team.

"They had to win tonight? If that's the case, just let us know, so we don't show up for the game," Rajaković continued. "Just give them a win. But that was not fair tonight. And this is not happening first time for us. Scottie Barnes is going to be [an] All-Star. He's going to be the face of this league, and what's happening over here during whole season ... it's complete crap."

It wasn't just the free-throw disparity that stood out, as RJ Barrett was called for an offensive foul that negated what would have been a game-tying three-pointer from Barnes in the final 30 seconds.

Frustration is clearly building in Toronto.

The team is in 12th place in the Eastern Conference at 15-23 and 1.5 games behind the Brooklyn Nets for the 10th seed and final spot in the play-in tournament. This is Rajaković's first season at the helm, and things are not going nearly as well as they did when predecessor Nick Nurse won a championship in his first season with the team in 2018-19.

The Raptors are a middling 18th in the league in free-throw attempts per game during the overall struggles.

It remains to be seen whether they will get to the line more following their head coach's rant, but he would probably be more accepting of the fine if that turns out to be the case.

While R.J. Barrett was excited about the move that sent him from the New York Knicks to his hometown Toronto Raptors last month, he recently admitted that the trade caught him off guard.

"I had no clue. I just got the call when it happened. I was like, 'What is going on?'" Barrett told Andscape's Marc J. Spears. "I was so confused. I didn't see it coming. When he told me the Raptors, I was like, 'OK, at least I'm coming home.'"

Barrett had spent the first four-plus seasons of his career in New York after being selected third overall by the franchise in the 2019 draft.

However, the Knicks opted to part ways with Barrett, Immanuel Quickley and a 2024 second-round pick in a surprise deal with Toronto in exchange for OG Anunoby, Malachi Flynn and Precious Achiuwa.

Barrett has been impressive since joining the struggling Raptors. In four games, he's averaging 21.0 points, 6.5 rebounds and 3.0 assists while shooting 53.8 percent from the floor and 52.6 percent from deep.

The Raptors are 3-1 since acquiring Barrett, though they still sit 11th in the Eastern Conference with a 15-21 record and are unlikely to make the postseason with more moves expected ahead of the February trade deadline.

Pascal Siakam continues to be included in trade rumors and if the Raptors move him, the team's struggles may only get worse.

Pascal Siakam will head into free agency this summer, leading to speculation about the possibility of a trade before February's deadline. He could have signed an extension before this season, but the Toronto Raptors reportedly went radio silent on him.

According to Josh Lewenberg of TSN, team president Masai Ujiri "and Toronto's front office cut off almost all communication with Siakam last summer, leading the seven-year vet to wonder whether he was being punished, according to a source close to the player. The lack of contact was especially strange, with Siakam entering the final year of his contract."

Lewenberg added that the "overwhelming consensus from pundits and several plugged-in league sources is that Siakam will be the next to go."

It makes sense. Siakam is a pending free agent, he's 29 and isn't on the same timeline as a young core that revolves around Scottie Barnes, Immanuel Quickley and R.J. Barrett. Losing him for nothing in the offseason doesn't make sense, and neither does signing him to a max deal when he's on a drastically different timeline from the younger players.

The issue for Toronto is that the rest of the league is more than aware of the above, and that potentially limits the Raptors' leverage in trade talks unless multiple suitors emerge and a bidding war materializes.

Plus, teams are aware they could be trading for a short-term rental. That limits his value in trades as well.

The Sacramento Kings are deciding to pull out of the Pascal Siakam talks, sources say. Things can be fluid, but Kings-Raptors talks are now over. https://t.co/oQtwcbKtjF

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) January 6, 2024

Warriors won’t include Kuminga
Kings won’t include Keegan
Hawks won’t include Jalen Johnson

Hmmm. I wonder where these leaks are coming from 🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔 https://t.co/Ob8tCqhYJ9

— Sam Esfandiari (@samesfandiari) January 7, 2024

Siakam, 29, would be an excellent second or third option on a contending team. He's averaging 22.3 points, 6.5 rebounds and five assists per game, shooting 52.1 percent from the field but just 28.8 percent from three.

It's undoubtedly been a down year for the two-time All-Star, given his lofty standards, though perhaps questions about his future and more of an emphasis on playing through Barnes has had its impact.

Either way, a change in scenery makes sense for both parties. It just remains to be seen if the Raptors are going to get the kind of offers they're hoping for.

While Pascal Siakam's name might be involved in trade buzz, the Toronto Raptors forward is focused on doing his job on the court.

Per the Sacramento Bee's Jason Anderson, Siakam, who has been linked to a potential trade with the Sacramento Kings, said that he doesn't worry about trade rumors and lets other people handle that area.

"I don't really pay attention to anything," Siakam said. "I have people who work on that stuff. I play basketball. I'm a basketball player and that's all I try to focus on."

The eight year player is currently leading the Raptors in scoring at 22.3 points per game amid a 14-21 start.

While there has been plenty of buzz about a potential Kings trade for Siakam, The Athletic and Stadium's Sham Charania reported Friday that trade conversations between the Kings and Raptors are over.

Had the Kings pursued a possible deal for Siakam, it likely would have meant dealing a member of their core that took them to the playoffs for the first time since 2006 last season — or giving up future picks.

Sacramento is having a successful season so far, sitting in fifth place in the Western Conference at 21-13 behind De'Aaron Fox, who is putting up a career-high 29.2 points per game, and Domantas Sabonis, who is averaging 19.7 points, 12.9 rebounds and 7.6 assists per game.

The Raptors have already been active in the trade market, dealing OG Anunoby to the New York Knicks for Immanuel Quickley, RJ Barrett and a 2024 second-round pick. Toronto is currently out of the playoff picture at 14-21, but it is looking to its new members to help spark a mid-season surge.

For now, Siakam will look to be a part of that surge and ignore the trade rumors.

Philadelphia 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey is confident that Toronto Raptors point guard Immanuel Quickley will secure a large contract in free agency following the 2023-24 season.

"I'm pretty sure [Quickley] will be OK," Maxey said, according to Stefan Bondy of the New York Post. "He'll make a lot of money."

Quickley was traded to the Raptors from the New York Knicks on Dec. 30 along with RJ Barrett and a second-round pick from the Detroit Pistons. New York received defensive-minded forward OG Anunoby in the deal as well as Precious Achiuwa and Malachi Flynn.

Maxey and Quickley have known each other for years, starting together in the Kentucky backcourt for the Wildcats' 2019-20 season. They were both selected late in the first round of the 2020 NBA draft, with Maxey heading to Philadelphia with the 21st overall pick and Quickley going to New York with the 25th pick.

Following the Knicks' 128-92 victory over the 76ers on Saturday, Maxey told reporters that he was excited to see his college teammate see an increased role on his new team.

"I was happy for him," he said, per Bondy. "He's over there, he's starting, he's having a good time. I think he'll get a little bit more of an opportunity. I'm happy for him. I'm sad that I don't get to play against him tonight. But I'm happy for him."

In three starts for the Raptors, Quickley is averaging 20.0 points and 5.3 assists per game while connecting on 44 percent of his shots from behind the arc. He's also playing 32.8 minutes each night after recording just 24.0 minutes per game on the Knicks.

.@IQ_GodSon : 👌👌👌👌👌 pic.twitter.com/zlVEIOTKqa

— Toronto Raptors (@Raptors) January 4, 2024

Quickley is currently playing out the final year of his rookie deal and will hit restricted free agency at the end of the season (via Spotrac). While the Raptors can match any contract that he signs with an opposing team, it's not hard to imagine other front offices presenting him with a large offer sheet in June.