There has been a lot of chatter around the league this offseason regarding Damian Lillard and James Harden, the two prominent names who have requested trades and are still on the trade block with the start of training camp right around the corner. Despite not requesting a trade, Pascal Siakam is another All-Star who has quietly been on the trade block with the Toronto Raptors facing an uncertain future.
Various teams have checked in with the Raptors to inquire about Siakam's true availability, yet team president Masai Ujiri and Toronto's front office have given no clear indication of whether or not they actually have interest in dealing the 29-year-old big man, league sources told ClutchPoints. This has resulted in many teams focusing on their current roster instead of trying to force the Raptors' hand.
For the Atlanta Hawks, it has been the complete opposite, as they have been the one team that has been in contact the most with the Raptors regarding a possible Siakam trade. No serious traction has been made on this front, sources said, though Atlanta has been willing to offer a lot of assets outside of their two stars in Trae Young and Dejounte Murray.
In July, sources told ClutchPoints that the Hawks had been ramping up their pursuit of Siakam despite the Raptors' lack of interest in trading him. It was later revealed by The Athletic's Shams Charania that Atlanta did propose a formal offer that included AJ Griffin, De'Andre Hunter, and draft compensation. Looking to get the most value possible and see how far the Hawks were willing to go in their pursuit, Toronto countered by asking for more.
According to HoopsHype's Michael Scotto, Atlanta was unwilling to part ways with 2023 first-round pick Kobe Bufkin, a player Toronto considered with the No. 13 pick in this year's draft, in a potential deal for Siakam. It is likely that the Raptors wanted Bufkin on top of what the Hawks had already offered.
The two sides did not hold meaningful conversations during the month of August and not much communication has been made between the Raptors and any other organization regarding Siakam.
The future of this organization is very unknown right now, especially after Fred VanVleet decided to leave in free agency after spending the first seven years of his career in a Raptors uniform. Moving forward with younger, more versatile talents such as Scottie Barnes and OG Anunoby seems to be Toronto's main mindset ahead of the 2023-24 season. While they could keep Siakam and extend his contract, it is looking more and more likely that his next contract in the league will come from another team.
Regarding the Hawks and their pursuit of forming a new “Big 3” in the Eastern Conference, they have not given up on the idea of adding Siakam. Atlanta still has some options in the pursuit of the two-time All-Star. With under a month until the start of the new season, the Hawks may have some tricks up their sleeve.
Bogdan Bogdanovic's trade availability
Pascal Siakam is entering the final year of his contract and is set to make $37.8 million during the 2023-24 season. Right now in the offseason before the start of training camp, the Hawks have 15 players under contract, all of whom own guaranteed deals. They do not have much maneuverability when it comes to their payroll, with a roster that exceeds $150 million in total salaries.
In order to possibly trade for Siakam, the Hawks would need to match his incoming salary, which would result in them sacrificing quite a few players right ahead of the start of the season. It's certainly not impossible for a trade to occur at this point, but many teams generally take a step back from trade talks around this time of the year, especially as they begin camp.
For the Hawks, they have an interesting alternative opening up regarding trade talks. Bogdan Bogdanovic, who signed a four-year, $68 million extension in March, will become trade eligible on Sept. 16. He is set to make $18.7 million this upcoming season and has a declining salary with a team option that runs through the 2026-27 season.
Including Bogdanovic in a trade for Siakam does not move the needle in any way for the Raptors, especially since he is 31 years old and has had a history of knee issues. On the other hand, the sharpshooter could be leveraged by the Hawks in attempts to get Toronto exactly what they want for their All-Star. There are a handful of playoff contending teams around the league that could not only utilize Bogdanovic's skills right away, but they could find a way to take on his $18.7 million salary.
Perhaps there is a path to the Hawks getting the Raptors the draft assets they would want in a potential deal, as well as another young, high-potential player if they were to trade away Bogdanovic. If Atlanta is unwilling to part ways with Bufkin, maybe they could convince Toronto to accept a trade of Hunter, Griffin and draft assets with any added value they can get in return for Bogdanovic in a trade with another team.
This is strictly hypothetical thinking, as the Hawks have not given any indications that they are interested in trading the Serbian guard. After all, they would not have extended his contract if they did not want him around, and he recently played really well for his home country in the 2023 FIBA World Cup.
After coming off the bench in Atlanta for a vast majority of the 2022-23 season, Bogdanovic once again figures to hold a key sixth man-like role for the Hawks this upcoming season.
Timeline for potential Siakam trade
Siakam has not requested a trade from the Raptors. In fact, he has done the complete opposite, as the All-Star has made it clear that he wants to spend the remainder of his career in Toronto. VanVleet's departure has not seemed to change this mindset, and Siakam is committed to helping the organization turn around their recent mishaps.
The question here is whether or not the Raptors want to take a chance with a long-term deal for Siakam when they could leverage him and add a handful of future assets. Out of all the teams in the league, the Hawks have been the most motivated in their pursuit of the All-Star, which is why they remain the most likely destination if Toronto is to make a trade.
Should the Raptors show more willingness to trade Siakam, the clock will begin to tick for when a deal could potentially get done. They are not going to back down on their asking price, while the Hawks aren't going to want to rip apart their roster just weeks ahead of the start of the new season. Some would argue it would be better to make this trade sooner than later in order for him to build chemistry with his new team, but at this point, a potential trade is more likely to happen ahead of the trade deadline in February.
By then, the Hawks will have a better idea of where they stand in the Eastern Conference playoff picture, the Raptors will have a sense about what their future looks like, and Siakam may begin to feel a little bit of pressure with there being just months until he becomes a free agent.
Will Siakam ultimately be traded by the Raptors?
This is still the overarching question that nobody seems to have answers to, including those within the walls of the Raptors organization. Toronto has been known to have an indecisive front office through the years, and there was even a sense of hesitance from some when they made their big move in 2019 to trade DeMar DeRozan for a one-year rental of Kawhi Leonard. Ultimately, this paid off for the franchise, as they went on to win their first championship ever.
Becoming true contenders in the East is the main goal Ujiri has right now, which is where a lot of the uncertainty to trade Siakam comes from. Unless they can get a grand return in the coming weeks, he will remain on their roster entering training camp and the start of the 2023-24 season. From there, speculation will continue, as the Raptors will make a substantial decision on their future based on their decision to keep or trade Siakam ahead of the trade deadline.
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