The Toronto Raptors are expected to agree to a max contract extension with forward Pascal Siakam by the Monday deadline, according to Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports.
Haynes notes that a deal between the Raptors and Siakam is a “virtual lock” to be completed.
The deal is expected to be somewhere in the neighborhood of five years and $170 million, much like the extensions that Philadelphia 76ers point forward Ben Simmons and Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray, both of whom were also in Siakam's 2016 draft class, received.
Of course, the difference is that while Simmons was taken with the first overall pick and Murray was chosen seventh, Siakam fell to the Raptors at No. 27.
Siakam is coming off a breakout 2018-19 campaign in which he played 80 games and averaged 16.9 points, 6.9 rebounds and 3.1 assists over 31.9 minutes per game while shooting 54.9 percent from the floor, 36.9 percent from 3-point range and 78.5 percent from the free-throw line en route to winning the NBA's Most Improved Player award.
The 25-year-old, who hails from Cameroon, appeared in 55 contests and made 38 starts during his rookie year but made minimal impact, registering 4.2 points and 3.4 boards across 15.6 minutes a night while making 50.2 percent of his field goal attempts.
He showed marked improvement the following season, participating in 81 games and recording 7.3 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.0 assists through 20.7 minutes per game while connecting on 50.8 percent of his shots.
However, Siakam did not begin developing a reliable perimeter shot until this past season, as he was arguably Toronto's second-best player behind Kawhi Leonard in its run to its first NBA title.
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