With the NBA trade deadline roughly a month away, rumors about who will be moved are only growing more intense. (Or at least the posts on X, formally known as Twitter, are.) Seemingly at the top of the list of players being bandied about in such rumors is Pascal Siakam, the star Toronto Raptors forward who seems to be on his way out of town—particularly after the Raptors signaled a rebuild of sorts with the O.G. Anunoby trade. With a bunch of contenders and playoff hopefuls in the mix for Siakam, here’s a ranking of possible landing spots in terms of where would be the most fun.
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Honorable Mention: Memphis Grizzlies
While I’m not sure the Grizz are looking to make a major move in the wake of Ja Morant’s season-ending shoulder injury, it would be cool if they remained aggressive. The problem is Siakam’s deal is expiring, and if he doesn’t want to re-sign in Memphis, then he and Morant will never play a second together.
5. Atlanta Hawks
The Hawks are under .500 and almost certainly need to make a move. Siakam wouldn’t excite me as much here compared to elsewhere. Is there enough spacing if you play him and Jalen Johnson on the wing together? Would Johnson go out in the trade? Would Toronto want to pair Dejounte Murray with Immanuel Quickley if Murray couldn’t make it work with Trae Young? Young has been really good this season, and the Hawks should be better than where they are. Siakam certainly wouldn’t be a bad fit. But I’m not sure he moves the needle quite enough for a team in 11th place.
4. Indiana Pacers
Siakam running and gunning with Tyrese Haliburton would be quite a bit of fun. While his outside shooting may not be the cleanest fit as part of the Pacers’ bombs-away attack, Siakam’s veteran steadiness would add a dose of maturity to Indiana, and his defense would be incredibly welcome. What gives me slight pause here is I still don’t take the Pacers seriously enough as a postseason threat, and I want to see Siakam play in meaningful games. That’s not saying Indy shouldn’t make the trade, only that there are more fun options on the board.
3. Sacramento Kings
Now we’re getting somewhere. The Kings have flown under the radar this season after their feel-good run last year. They got bounced in the first round because of an all-time Stephen Curry performance, but otherwise looked like a team ready to compete with the big boys. In an ideal world, Sacramento could acquire Siakam without giving up Keegan Murray. A core of Murray, De’Aaron Fox, Siakam and Domantas Sabonis would be very competitive. Would it be enough for Siakam to stay long term? Perhaps not. I do think it would be the kind of trade that could move the Kings up a tier in the West, though. And it would make Sacramento a very dangerous playoff opponent.
2. Golden State Warriors
I mostly just hate watching Steph go out like this. I’m not going to pretend Siakam fixes all the problems in Golden State. The team probably needs an exorcist for that at this point. But Curry is too good to have his late prime wasted on a roster that may not even make the playoffs. Siakam at least gives the Dubs the faintest of hopes of being a contender again. The world is a better place when Curry’s magic is taking place on meaningful stages. Siakam landing in San Francisco would give us a chance, however small, of experiencing another thrilling Dubs run.
Oklahoma City Thunder
I don’t know whether the Thunder are a player at all in the Siakam sweepstakes, let alone a serious one. I do think they could win a title with him. Oklahoma City is really good. Like, really good. A player with Siakam’s playoff experience would throw gas on a fire already threatening to get out of control. Even as a rental, I’d love for the Thunder to take a gamble here. OKC of all organizations should know how fickle title windows can be. Add Siakam to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren, and the Thunder become an incredibly difficult two-way challenge for every team in the West. While I’m not one of the people banging on the table for OKC to make a splashy move, the Thunder could definitely stand to benefit from adding someone of Siakam’s caliber. And watching a young, hungry, up-and-coming team try to upset the order of the West would be great drama.
