NBA Trades: 12 stars that will likely change teams by next season

NBA Star #6: Pascal Siakam

The Toronto Raptors, despite having several talented players, missed the playoffs last season and seem ready to hit the reset button, initiating a rebuild. If that is indeed the case, then their teardown could begin by trading their best player, Pascal Siakam. Siakam had a career year last season but failed to make All-NBA, meaning he won’t be eligible for a supermax contract.

That makes it harder for the Raptors to keep him since they won’t be able to offer him far more than another team would. There is also the fact that he is already 29, and their roster isn’t ready to compete for a championship with him.

Therefore, the Raptors could look to move him this summer rather than prolong the inevitable, especially with the San Antonio Spurs owning their 2024 first-round pick (top-six protected in 2024 and 2025). Were Toronto to move him over the summer, they could prevent their pick from conveying and even potentially receive at least a couple of first-round picks in return. Moreover, those picks could be used to help them jumpstart their rebuild.

Portland and Houston could be options, as could the Brooklyn Nets, who reportedly tried to acquire him ahead of the trade deadline. Whether they—or any other team—trade for him remains to be seen, but odds are that he will be dealt.