Petre Thomas-USA TODAY Sports
The Pascal Siakam situation is a tricky one for potentially interested teams to navigate because Siakam is headed into unrestricted free agency this summer, meaning he has a lot of control over where he ends up because he can just tell teams he won’t re-sign with them if they trade for him.
That already reportedly happened this week as Siakam told the Kings he wouldn’t re-sign with them if they traded for him:
Pascal Siakam reportedly told the Kings he would not re-sign after this season, which is what ended trade talks with the Raptors, per @DLoAndKC.
Sacramento had a proposal primarily built around Harrison Barnes and draft capital. pic.twitter.com/qGzp5neand
— Evan Sidery (@esidery) January 9, 2024
Regardless, that hasn’t stopped the Warriors from registering interest in Siakam, according to The Athletic’s Anthony Slater:
Golden State’s take: Let’s start here: These teams have discussed Siakam in recent weeks. I’ve heard that on a more substantial level and saw Mike Dunleavy Jr. and Masai Ujiri in the tunnel pregame on Sunday night having a drawn-out conversation. So there’s something potentially there. I’d wager the Warriors view that proposal — Kuminga, two firsts and a valuable expiring salary — as too steep. Paul’s contract is useful for them because they’re trying to duck the second apron this summer and Siakam, if acquired, would presumably be ticketed as an expensive part of their future. — Anthony Slater
And Haynes also believes the Raptors and Siakam could be close to parting ways:
Mavs Film Room: Chris Haynes live on the Bleacher Report App says that he’s heard that Pascal Siakam and the Toronto Raptors “are on the verge of parting ways” Says that there’s a high likelihood Siakam is moved by the February 8th trade deadline.
Haynes also mentioned the 76ers and Pacers as two teams to watch on the Siakam front, while Fischer reported the Dallas Mavericks as another potential landing spot.
For what it’s worth, a Raptors beat writer for The Athletic speculated last week that Siakam might not re-sign with any team who trades for him, as he wants to explore free agency, but that a strong monetary offer could change things:
To that end, I contacted six writers at The Athletic to talk about potential Siakam trades. For clarity’s sake, I told them all that Siakam would not sign an extension with their teams during this season, as he wants to explore free agency. However, he would be open-minded about staying where he is dealt, and all things being equal, a strong monetary offer would rule the day.
So we’ll see how this saga ends. The Raptors are 15-24 and looking like non-threats to make a playoff run, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see them trade the 2019 NBA champion and truly initiate a rebuild around Scottie Barnes over the coming month.
For the latest Pascal Siakam trade rumors and salary info, click here.
