Grade the Trade: Pacers land Pascal Siakam in prehistoric proposal

Would the Raptors make this deal?

Pascal Siakam is on an expiring contract, and is extremely unlikely to extend that deal as part of a trade-and-extend move, which would limit the length and salary increase. That means that whoever is trading for Siakam is getting a rental they can’t extend for at least six months, and likely who will hit next summer as an unrestricted free agent.

That limits what the Raptors can get back for Siakam. Does that mean they won’t trade him at all? Perhaps, but they’ve been down this road before. Things seem to have progressed further than with Lowry or VanVleet, and that probably indicates there’s at least a whisper of a chance that the Raptors play ball.

If so, this is a perfectly reasonable return for Siakam. Buddy Hield’s shooting can help unlock their spacing-challenged frontcourt, and he can show rookie Jordan Hawkins the ropes of movement shooting in the NBA. He’s also valuable as a trade chip to be moved on in another deal. Daniel Theis is dead money but can bolster their center rotation.

The real centerpieces of the deal are Nembhard and the two picks. It’s likely that the rising sophomore never becomes more than a fifth-starter level of player, but after losing Fred VanVleet and Dalano Banton the Raptors could use just that sort of player. The two picks include one near (hopefully before Haliburton and the Pacers reach the height of their powers) and late (upside in case something unexpected happens).

This isn’t a slam dunk, and the Raptors will look for a better prospect to receive back. This may be the best they have, however, so it’s worth considering.

Grade: B