Toronto Raptors: Tough to see Pascal Siakam getting traded

There has been a lot of chatter surrounding Pascal Siakam’s future with the Toronto Raptors but it appears unlikely that he gets traded.

It’s tough to see where the Toronto Raptors will be in the next few years as they try to get back into contention but one thing that appears to be clear, Pascal Siakam will likely be a part of that.

Over the last few weeks, the idea of trading Siakam had gained traction, especially with the Raptors reportedly getting offers after drafting Scottie Barnes with the fourth overall pick. Teams like the Sacramento Kings, Golden State Warriors, and Los Angeles Clippers had Siakam on their radar according to Jason Anderson of the Sacramento Bee.

At this moment, it’s tough to see Siakam having incredibly high value on the market given that he is recovering from shoulder surgery that will see him miss the first month of the upcoming season. On top of that, the 27-year-old hasn’t been at his best especially last season with the Raptors away from Toronto.

Masai Ujiri has shown that he isn’t afraid to take risks if it means the Raptors get closer to a title but the deal has to make sense. The teams mentioned above aren’t going to offer a Kawhi Leonard-level player in a deal for Siakam because they see him as a piece to help support their core players.

The Raptors are in a transition period with Kyle Lowry moving on to the Miami Heat and Barnes looking to reward the team’s faith in selecting him fourth overall considering many were expecting Jalen Suggs to be the pick.

Toronto Raptors need to support Pascal Siakam and ensure he can reach potential

When rumours like this come out, the best Toronto can do is make sure Siakam’s focus is in the right place especially when he is recovering from a tough operation.

General manager Bobby Webster went out of his way to address the rumours in order to set the record straight from the team’s point of view.

"“Don’t put a ton of stock in the rumors; obviously, it’s the teams who want him that are trying to drum things up,” Webster told TSN 1050’s “Overdrive” during an appearnace earlier in August. “We’re out here in Las Vegas for summer league. We sat with him and talked with him for a bit, and that relationship is strong. There’s a level of trust both ways.“Don’t read into that stuff as much either as far as how we feel internally with Pascal and obviously his role.”"

Some front office executives won’t go out of their way to say what Webster did but it’s clear what the message was. They didn’t want Siakam to think they were shopping him and that they still believe in him.

At this rate, the Raptors focus should be to maximize Siakam’s potential in order to see whether he is capable of being the player they know he can be. While he has had issues leading the way offensively, he has shown a willingness to making improvements to his game.

There was a rift with head coach Nick Nurse last season after Siakam was benched during a close game. That should hopefully have been a learning experience for both the team and Siakam so that they know how to deal with this going forward.

The Raptors need Siakam to reach his potential in order to contend with some of the powerhouse teams in the East. Having him on board with the team’s direction and role for him going forward will be a nice start to that.

What should the Raptors do about Siakam’s future with the team? Do you think he can be a key part of a championship team? Let us know in the comments below.