Toronto Raptors must trade Pascal Siakam, OG Anunoby in-season to avoid disaster

Will the Toronto Raptors pull the trigger?

The decision to either blow up the roster or not falls on Toronto Raptors general manager Masai Ujiri. But after missing out on making a big addition during the offseason, there’s a very real possibility that the Raptors choose to fully lean into the youth movement with Scottie Barnes. And if that’s the route the Raptors end up taking, trading both Anunoby and Siakam might be exactly the move that would put the team in the best situation to build around Barnes in the future.

Think of it this way; if the Raptors were to trade both Anunoby and Siakam, there’s a chance they end up with 4-5 future first-round picks and perhaps a young player or two. If that’s the possible return vs. possibly losing both of them for nothing this summer, the decision may already be made.

I think many of these decisions depend on how the Raptors look during the first half of the season. If Toronto hits its stride early on in the season and is in the conversation to finish as a top 4 seed in the East, I firmly believe the front office will keep the team as is – even if a potential disaster awaits them in the offseason. But if the Raptors get off to a slow start, that might be enough to get Ujiri to finally pull the trigger.