The Toronto Raptors have one other star reaching free company. As soon as once more, they’re standing pat.
Raptors ahead Pascal Siakam is within the last yr of his contract. Whereas he can signal a four-year extension with the workforce for as much as 4 years and $192M anytime earlier than June 30, Sportsnet’s Michael Grange reviews that “both sides has eyed Dec. 30 as a possible impetus to succeed in a choice.” That strongly implies that Siakam will attain free company, the following in a sequence of stars from Toronto’s 2019 championship workforce to take action.
This summer season, Fred VanVleet left for the Houston Rockets in free company. In 2021, it was Kyle Lowry leaving for the Miami Warmth in a sign-and-trade. Marc Gasol left as a free agent in 2020. All that Toronto obtained in return was Treasured Achiuwa, who has averaged 9 factors per sport in two-and-a-half seasons with the Raptors.
The issue appears to be Toronto’s indecisiveness. It would not need to re-sign its veterans, however it additionally would not need to commerce them and get one thing again. The workforce would not need to reset the workforce or rebuild round 2021-22 Rookie of the 12 months Scottie Barnes, however it additionally would not have a playoff-caliber supporting forged round him.
It might be too late to extract true worth from a two-time All-Star like Siakam. As Grange writes, “Nobody goes to pay prime greenback for a half-season of labor from a participant who might go away in free company.”
With the Raptors in twelfth place with a 12-18 file, they want to determine what’s occurring with Siakam. The identical goes for OG Anunoby and Gary Trent Jr., who can each grow to be free brokers after the season. It doesn’t matter what path the Raptors select, shedding starters for nothing in return is not going to get them anyplace.
