Toronto Raptors already seem to have nailed it with their OG Anunoby trade, as they picked up two possible assets for the future in point guard Immanuel Quickley and wing RJ Barrett. If they trade Pascal Siakam, Toronto could be in for yet another promising haul coming their way.
The Raptors appear to have set a very reasonable price point for Siakam, as they seem to want a controllable young player who can slot into the rotation above all else while also picking up at least one first-round pick. Given his talent, teams shouldn’t be hesitant about meeting that price.
Masai Ujiri and the front office have become notorious for finding a fixed price point for his players and holding to it until he gets an offer that satisfies him. This could lead to some teams getting desperate in an attempt to secure Siakam for themselves at the deadline.
While the Raptors need to be practical about what to expect in most Siakam offers, getting both Barrett and Quickley in the Anunoby deal shows that dreaming big could end up with multiple players who will be in the long-term picture. These 2 targets could be reasonable players to highlight, while one of them is a dream that would change the team’s outlook.
2 realistic Toronto Raptors trade targets, 1 pipe dream name.
Realistic: Jarace Walker
The Pacers don’t want to give up Walker in any possible trade with the Raptors, but it seems hard to fully develop the former No. 8 overall pick on a team that has Siakam, Obi Toppin, Jalen Smith, and Isaiah Jackson all taking up space in what has quickly become a very crowded frontcourt.
Walker may never be a 20 points per game scorer in this league, but he will have a very long career built almost exclusively on rock-solid defense and versatility. Toronto is in dire need of both those traits, especially with Jakob Poeltl’s injury exposing their issues in this area.
Jarace Walker would be a big boost to the Toronto Raptors.
Pacers fans seem to be quite irritated with Walker’s lack of playing time, as his domination of the G League shows that he is more than ready for an expanded NBA role. Toronto could give him that, all while taking a big step forward as they try to figure out what went wrong with their defense.
Walker could become a starter right away, providing value without taking shots away from Scottie Barnes or either of their new additions. That doesn’t mean he is devoid of offensive potential, as he looks like a traditional power forward that can become an effective paint scorer with enough polish.
Realistic: Jonathan Kuminga
Kuminga is a very polarizing player, and Golden State’s tradeable assets outside of him lacking in value will make it quite hard for the Raptors to agree on a deal. While his lack of shooting won’t be for anyone, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see how Kuminga could reach his potential in Toronto.
A high-flying forward who can attack the rim and play multiple positions, Kuminga will be a replacement for Siakam that can soar past the milquetoast heights of average and below average where most non-Pascal players at that position in Toronto have remained.
Jonathan Kuminga could make the Toronto Raptors very happy.
Golden State might be on the verge of a huge move, as their continued losing and inability to mesh their ultra-young core with their aging veterans have this entire rotation thrown all out of whack. Kuminga might be one of the young faces who gets kicked out of town in the reboot.
The Raptors should not deal with Golden State unless Kuminga is in the deal, as it becomes very difficult to stomach the idea of a Siakam trade when Andrew Wiggins will likely need to be included for financial reasons. Moses Moody and veteran scraps won’t be enough to get a deal done here.
Pipe Dream: Dereck Lively II
This is unlikely, but you have to at least make Dallas say no, right? Lively, picked one selection ahead of Gradey Dick, has already established himself as an above-average rebounder and shot-blocker that has helped the Mavericks take some steps forward on defense.
Lively coming to town would give the Raptors one of the best 1-2 punches at the center spot in the league alongside Jakob Poeltl. If things go really sour with Poeltl, Toronto already has a ready-made replacement that could slide in if Ujiri decides to make a trade next year.
The Toronto Raptors need to check on trading for Dereck Lively II.
If Lively is off the table, the best player Dallas could trade is veteran guard Tim Hardaway Jr. Young guards like Josh Green and Jaden Hardy have some very obvious flaws that will limit their ceiling, and former first-round forward Olivier-Maxence Prosper is a complete unknown from an NBA point of view.
Outside of Lively, the Dallas asset that best helps the Raptors retool around Scottie Barnes might be a 32-year-old guard who wouldn’t even start. Toronto needs to consider the pitfalls of trading with Dallas especially if the best possible player in the deal the Mavs could part with ends up avoiding such a move.