NBA Trade Rumors: The Atlanta Hawks may be the most likely landing spot for Pascal Siakam.
Heading into the offseason, it was expected that the Toronto Raptors were going to make big changes this summer. Toronto lost Fred VanVleet in free agency but all eyes continue to be on Pascal Siakam. Pivoting toward more of a youth movement, there’s speculation that Pascal Siakam could be on the move next.
Dating back to the NBA Trade Deadline, there have been whispers that the Raptors were going to trade Siakam. They didn’t pull the trigger at the trade deadline and as of yet haven’t found a deal of their liking so far. However, from all indications, it appears that the Raptors trading Siakam seems like somewhat of a foregone conclusion.
If that is indeed true, the question is, where will he be traded to? While there have been suitors, there has reportedly been one that has stood out among the rest.
According to a recent report, the Atlanta Hawks have been the strongest suitor for Siakam. Per the report, the Hawks have offered a package centered around De’Andre Hunter, AJ Griffin, and draft capital.
Pascal Siakam on the Atlanta Hawks could shake up the East hierarchy
There are questions as to whether or not that package would be enough for the Raptors to accept. Obviously, Toronto isn’t at that place just yet. But you can’t help but wonder if that changes between now and the start of the season.
Siakam’s trade value is only going to shrink and shrink head into the season, especially if Siakam is going to be selective about possibly signing an extension. I can’t imagine there will be many teams willing to offer a premier package to Toronto without the guarantee of Siakam signing a long-term extension with the team.
The Hawks may be the ideal spot for Siakam. And he’d be a great fit for Atlanta as they look to replace John Collins and continue to retool around Trae Young and Dejounte Murray. If the Hawks were to land Siakam via trade, for this reported package, they could emerge as a dangerous team in the Eastern Conference this season.
I’m not sure how high their ceiling would be in the immediate, but a Young-Murray-Siakam core could be one of the most complementary big threes in the conference heading into the season – especially with the Miami Heat still waiting around for Damian Lillard.