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At the moment, it remains rather unlikely that the Toronto Raptors trade away Pascal Siakam. Per ClutchPoints' Brett Siegel, the Raptors aren't necessarily keen on the idea of trading him away, and Siakam, for his part, is willing to stay in Toronto for the long haul. But according to the rumor mill, if the Raptors do indeed trade the two-time All-Star, the Oklahoma City Thunder stand out as a potential landing spot.
Now, the Thunder have strong belief in their current core. That is clear. And there's no reason for the Thunder to push their chips on the table this early, although one would think that OKC will be due for some talent consolidation trades at some point given their abundance of draft picks.
In fact, at the moment, OKC has 21 players under contract — six more than the maximum roster size. And next season, OKC can have as many as four first-round picks. So there's certainly a possibility that the Thunder swing a trade for a star in the coming years.
Even then, with the Thunder not exactly feeling any sense of urgency to trade for a star, it'll be difficult for the Raptors to squeeze them dry in any prospective Pascal Siakam deal. Moreover, it's a near certainty that all four of the Thunder's most promising players (Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Josh Giddey, Jalen Williams, and Chet Holmgren) will be untouchable. Thus, it may be difficult for the two teams to find a suitable middle ground.
But here in this exercise, we'll be attempting to find something that works for both teams. Here's the perfect package the Thunder must offer the Raptors for Spicy P.
Thunder trade Cason Wallace, Luguentz Dort, Ousmane Dieng, Rudy Gay, Victor Oladipo, and 2024 top-4 protected HOU first-round pick to the Raptors for Pascal Siakam (trade to be completed on September 6, 2023)
The Raptors can try all they want, but there's no way the Thunder are trading away anyone of their core four for Pascal Siakam, especially when his contract is expiring. Even then, the Thunder can still offer the Raptors one of the best packages in the market, after having drafted well in recent years.
Toronto had set their sights on taking Cason Wallace with the 13th pick of the 2023 NBA Draft, working him out extensively in the lead up to draft night. But the Thunder beat them to the punch, taking him three spots higher.
At the moment, the Raptors are relying on a stop-gap option at the point in Dennis Schroder. They should still be on the lookout for someone who could be a long-term solution at the position. And Wallace fits the bill. His skillset also makes him an ideal fit next to Scottie Barnes, as his ability to space the floor complements Barnes' rim-attacking ways.
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OKC will still have some depth in the backcourt even if they trade away Wallace. They'll be relying on Tre Mann to make a leap, while Vasilije Micic should be a reliable hand at the point given his considerable overseas playing experience.
But what may hurt the most for the Thunder, especially in the interim, will be trading away Luguentz Dort. Dort rates as one of the best on-ball defenders in the league, taking on the most difficult matchup every night. He and Jalen Williams combine to form a lockdown defensive duo on the perimeter.
But with Pascal Siakam entering the fray, Dort may be the one to give way anyway in the starting lineup, moving Williams to his more natural position at the three. Dort may be a beloved player in OKC, but if the Raptors ask for him in any Siakam trade talks, the team must not hesitate to include him.
Letting go of Ousmane Dieng will hurt as well, as he has shown solid improvements during Summer League. But even with Siakam's hypothetical arrival, the Thunder will still have Chet Holmgren, Jaylin Williams, Aleksej Pokusevski, and Kenrich Williams to rely on in the frontcourt.
Now, the Raptors will also be asking for plenty of first-round picks. But instead, the Thunder will be giving up just one draft pick with a strong chance to return solid value (the Houston Rockets' 2024 first-rounder) in lieu of giving up draft assets in volume.
Relinquishing the Rockets' 2024 first-round pick will be a major sticking point for the team, but it takes value to receive value. Even with the Rockets making moves to improve the team next year, the most likely outcome for the team remains a finish outside of the playoffs, giving the Raptors a chance to pick in the 2024 draft lottery in this scenario.
The Raptors may not be receiving the established talent they so crave in this hypothetical. But overall, they'll be receiving two recent lottery picks, one of the best defenders in the league, and another potential selection in the lottery for next year. That is a more than solid return for the 29-year old Pascal Siakam, especially when he's on the last year of his deal.
