The 2023 NBA Draft is less than a week away and in addition to the influx of new talent, there’s also likely to be some wheeling-and-dealing. One player who could be dealt is Toronto Raptors forward Pascal Siakam.
Jake Fischer of Yahoo! Sports reported in a column published on Friday that the Atlanta Hawks have eyes on Siakam and could make a play for the 29-year-old. The Portland Trailblazers also reportedly had discussions with the Raptors regarding Siakam in the past.
Siakam has spent all seven years of his career with Toronto and is coming off a season in which he averaged 24.2 points, 7.8 rebounds and 5.8 assists per contest while shooting 48.0% from the field. That was good enough to earn him All-Star honors for the second time.
The former first-round pick is entering the final year of a $37.8 million contract and will become eligible for a significant contract extension this summer.
With the Hawks determined to hang onto Trae Young, adding Siakam would create a potentially appealing Big 3 that also includes Dejounte Murray. However, that’s assuming Atlanta hangs onto Murray, whom they acquired from the San Antonio last offseason in a trade that included three first-round picks.
