Peachtree Hoops: Report: Hawks unwilling to include recent first-round player in Pascal Siakam trade deal

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Earlier in the offseason, a report from Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium broke about the trade package the Hawks were willing to dangle to entice the Raptors to part with star player Pascal Siakam. In it, the combination of De’Andre Hunter, AJ Griffin, and draft picks was offered only to see the Toronto Raptor respond with their desire for more assets in return. Additionally, it was also noted that Atlanta was the most aggressive team in the league pushing for the move, although talks had recently stalled.

On Wednesday, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype reiterated both of the above points in the newest report, but he also added an additional detail about who may be off limits from the Hawks’ point of view in a trade offer.

The Atlanta Hawks were considered the team with the most trade interest in Toronto Raptors forward Pascal Siakam over the summer.

While talks for Siakam centered around De’Andre Hunter, AJ Griffin, and draft pick compensation never materialized, there was a young player the Hawks didn’t want to include that’s worth noting should the teams revisit trade discussions.

The Hawks were unwilling to part with rookie guard Kobe Bufkin in trade talks for Siakam, league sources told HoopsHype. Coach Quin Snyder is said to be high on the former Michigan guard, who averaged 19.3 points on 51.9 percent shooting overall and 45 percent from beyond the arc with 5.6 rebounds in his final eight games as a Wolverine.

Bufkin was a player the Raptors considered selecting at No. 13 overall in the draft before ultimately choosing Gradey d*ck.

Another player to watch in potential trade talks is Hawks swingman Bogdan Bogdanovic, who becomes trade-eligible on September 16. Bogdanovic recently finished with the third-highest Global Rating at the World Cup and is owed $68 million over the next four seasons.

The no. 15 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, Kobe Bufkin is a versatile guard who has the potential to fit next to both Trae Young and Dejounte Murray in the long run as a complementary piece. While Bufkin will need further development in the NBA to contribute at a high level as evidenced by the most recent Las Vegas Summer League campaign, head coach Quin Snyder clearly has not wavered in his opinion of the player according to Scotto.

The rumors surrounding Atlanta’s desire to land Pascal Siakam seemingly have not ceased for good, but this new reporting provides a tad more clarity as to where both side are in this trade standoff.

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