Per BR… fresh
Pascal Siakam's Top NBA Landing Spots After Raptors' OG Anunoby Trade with Knicks
PAUL KASABIANDECEMBER 30, 2023
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The Toronto Raptors made a big move on Saturday by trading wing OG Anunoby, big man Precious Achiuwa and guard Malachi Flynn for wing RJ Barrett, guard Immanuel Quickley and a 2024 second-round pick.
The 12-19 Raptors sit tied for 11th in the Eastern Conference, and the Anunoby trade may signal more deals on the horizon given Toronto's struggles. The ceiling has been reached for the team's current core of Pascal Siakam, Scottie Barnes and Anunoby.
Fred VanVleet already took off for the Houston Rockets via free agency last year, perhaps signaling the beginning of the end of this group.
Now the question is what's next for the Raptors, and all eyes are on Siakam. Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports provided more information on that front.
"League personnel are certainly prepared for a Siakam trade to follow suit. Before this weekend's deal, Siakam was the Toronto veteran whom rival executives were pegging as the most likely Raptor to be dealt, particularly after the team nearly sent Siakam to the Atlanta Hawks this summer, league sources told Yahoo Sports. He is under an expiring contract after his own extension talks fell short of a deal this fall. In addition to Atlanta, the Kings and Pacers have been routinely mentioned by NBA figures as potential suitors for Siakam."
The 29-year-old Siakam, a two-time All-Star, has averaged 21.5 points on 50.9 percent shooting, 6.6 rebounds and 5.2 assists per game. His contract expires this season, making him more likely to be moved before the Feb. 8 trade deadline.
With that in mind, here's a look at the three teams Fischer mentioned and how Siakam could be a fit on each.
KANGZ!
Sacramento Kings
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Sacramento didn't make the playoffs for 16 years until a fantastic breakthrough campaign in 2022-23, which saw the team win 49 games and earn the Western Conference's No. 3 seed.dd
The Kings are proving that they are no fluke this season with an 18-12 record thus far, good enough for fifth in the West.
One big move could vault the Kings to the West's top tier, so Siakam could make a ton of sense here. Sacramento already has two stars in De'Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis, but a big three with Siakam could be enough for a serious run too the NBA Finals.
Siakam would presumably start in the frontcourt alongside Sabonis, creating a deadly one-two combo there. But the bottom line is that those two plus Fox would be very hard to deal with on a nightly basis given their scoring prowess. In other words, the Kings should be doing their due diligence to see if they can bring Siakam aboard.
PACERS!!!
Indiana Pacers
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Behind a breakout campaign from Tyrese Haliburton, who is destined for an All-NBA team spot this year, the Pacers have firmly planted themselves in the Eastern Conference playoff race. At 16-14, Indiana has earned the No. 8 spot for now, although they are only two-and-a-half games back of the Miami Heat for fourth.
In other words, a big move like landing Siakam could vault the Pacers into a coveted top-six spot to avoid the play-in tournament.
Indiana could use another 20-point scorer to complement Haliburton, who leads the team with 24.7 points and 12.7 assists. Only one other player (Myles Turner, 17.4 PPG) averages 14 or more points per game. Siakam, who has posted 22.7 PPG over the past five years, could certainly help in that regard.
The Pacers could also use an upgrade in the frontcourt by adding a star talent at power forward in Siakam. He would help create a more well-rounded team and take some pressure off Haliburton and others.
AAAAANNNDDD US!!! @TheNorthCydeRises
Atlanta Hawks
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Simply put, the Hawks' season is on the brink. Four straight losses have dropped the Hawks to 12-19 and 11th in the Eastern Conference.
With the Raptors seemingly ready to move forward from this core, the Hawks' trade interest in Siakam from this summer could be reignited.
Per Michael Scotto of HoopsHype in September, "the Atlanta Hawks were considered the team with the most trade interest" in Siakam last summer.
And with the team struggling mightily now, it makes sense for Atlanta to look into a move again. At the moment, the team is wasting away the Trae Young era.
The team has gathered talent around him in the form of veterans (Dejounte Murray, Clint Capela) and draft picks (Jalen Johnson, De'Andre Hunter), but it just hasn't worked out. The defense (27th in rating) has faltered this year and led to a host of tough losses.
It's hard seeing how that can improve much given the team's current personnel. Ultimately, a changing of the guard should be in order, and a Siakam move to the Hawks makes sense if Atlanta wants to salvage this season.
