The Toronto Raptors shocked the NBA world on Wednesday afternoon when they decided to part ways with two-time All-Star big man Pascal Siakam. A core part of this organization for the last seven seasons, as well as a key member of their 2019 championship team, Siakam now embarks on a new journey with the Indiana Pacers.
While shocking, the writing had been on the wall since the start of the season. The Raptors decided to move on from Siakam due to the veteran being in the final year of his contract and the fact that he was going to be entering the offseason as an unrestricted free agent. After dealing OG Anunoby to the New York Knicks a few weeks back and continuing to slide down the Eastern Conference standings, executive Masai Ujiri and Toronto's front office decided that now was the best time to enter what they hope to be a quick re-tooling phase.
Scottie Barnes, Immanuel Quickley, and RJ Barrett now highlight a younger looking Raptors lineup, but even more changes could be on their way. The NBA trade deadline is in exactly three weeks, giving Ujiri and the Raptors time to make even more trades. After acquiring Bruce Brown and draft picks from the Pacers, it appears as if Toronto is prepared to remain active on the trade market.
“Definitely, yeah. You look at this and that's why we've created flexibility,” Ujiri told reporters on Thursday when asked about the possibility of the team making more moves ahead of the trade deadline, via TSN's Josh Lewenberg.
Flexibility is extremely important for any front office to have in the NBA. The trades involving Anunoby and Siakam have opened up various different paths the Raptors can go down, especially Wednesday's trade given Brown's contract situation and all the draft picks they brought in.
Various playoff-contending teams around the league are expected to show interest in Brown, who agreed to a two-year $45 million contract with the Pacers in the offseason. The final year of his contract is a team option worth $23 million for the 2024-25 season. The Raptors do have the ability to reroute Brown and trade him again by himself ahead of the trade deadline. Gary Trent Jr. is another interesting name to discuss in trade rumors leading up to the deadline, as the 25-year-old wing is in the final year of his contract and is set to hit free agency in the summer.
Ujiri details tough decisions in trades
Pascal Siakam, OG Anunoby, and Malachi Flynn are three players that had spent their entire careers with the Raptors before being traded. Precious Achiuwa, who was included in the Anunoby trade with the Knicks, had been with the Raptors since the start of the 2021-22 season.
It is always hard for front office executives to part ways with players that have brought value to their organization, especially players such as Siakam and Anunoby, who delivered the franchise their first championship in 2019. Ujiri addressed the hardships the Raptors faced while making these trades decisions, claiming that each player made an impact.
“It's a tough couple of weeks for us with the trades we've made losing Pascal Siakam, OG Anunoby, Malachi Flynn, and Precious Achiuwa. Obviously, we know what these players meant to our program,” Ujiri stated, via Sportsnet 590. “Incredible, incredible human beings. Incredible character. Incredible players… What these guys represent, where I come from, where they come from, it's meant a lot to me.”
Tough decisions always have to be made by front offices and this was clearly a decision that the Raptors went back and forth on through the weeks. After trading Anunoby and Siakam, Toronto now has the ability to make even more moves ahead of this year's trade deadline, a scenario that looks likely given Ujiri's recent remarks.
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