OKC Thunder: 3 stars worth trading for at the 2021 deadline
By Mark Nilon
OKC Thunder trade target No. 2) Pascal Siakam
The Toronto Raptors look far removed from their 2019 NBA Finals victory, and it’s not just the Kawhi-less roster that we’re talking about.
Boasting a sub-.500 record of (9-12), resting in the 10th seed out east, and losers of three of their last five games, many around the NBA circuit are pondering on the idea of the franchise embarking on a full-blown rebuild in Canada.
Things have gotten to such an underwhelming point for Toronto that even our sister-site Raptors Rapture have discussed a potential reshuffling of the direction for the team, and even begged the question as to when the time may come where they should consider trading their All-Star forward, Pascal Siakam.
While we don’t necessarily expect the 26-year-old to be dangled this season, Sam Presti and co. should closely monitor the situation between the two parties, for a guy like Siakam would not only be a great grab to have run alongside Gilgeous-Alexander moving forward, but he also fits the long, lean, and defensive-oriented mold the OKC General Manager is obsessed with.
On the season, the Cameroon-native is posting impressive averages of 19.2 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 4.6 assists per game on 45 percent shooting from deep.
At 6-9 with a 7-2 wingspan, Siakam has the ideal build for the Thunder at power forward and, with his impressive two-way skill-set, he’d be a tremendous fit in a rotation already consisting of SGA, Lu Dort, and Darius Bazley.
Again, while it may be a long shot that they’d want to part with him, should the Toronto Raptors opt for a rebuild and, in turn, value picks over current players, the OKC Thunder would be an ideal trade partner, and, for the Sooner State, Siakam would be an ideal grab in exchange.