Toronto Raptors forward Pascal Siakam has been a regular in trade rumors for some time now, and that has not changed with the NBA offseason underway. However, teams interested in acquiring him may face one big issue.
The belief around the league is that Siakam would not be willing to sign a contract extension with any team interested in trading for him, according to Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report. Siakam is said to want to remain in Toronto, and might not be open to long-term contract talks despite entering the final season of his current deal.
There’s growing sentiment Toronto star Pascal Siakam — who’s on an expiring deal — would not re-sign with a team who attempts to trade for him as his preference is to remain with the Raptors, sources tell @NBAonTNT, @BleacherReport.
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) June 22, 2023
This is definitely an extra wrinkle that might make the Raptors’ efforts to trade Siakam much tougher. If true, anyone trading for Siakam would be getting a one-year rental and gambling on their ability to convince him to re-sign after that. That may hinder Siakam’s trade value.
There is no shortage of interest in Siakam, who averaged 24.2 points and 7.8 rebounds per game last season. However, the 29-year-old might not be valued as highly if there is a fear that he will be one-and-done for a new team.
