Celtics Rumors: Insider Floats Pascal Siakam as Trade Target

Getty Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers, Pascal Siakam of the Toronto Raptors

With the changes they made this summer, the Boston Celtics have made it clear that they’ll do whatever it takes to win a title. If they are all-in on winning a championship, The Boston Globe’s Gary Washburn explained why he believes they should take a look at Toronto Raptors star Pascal Siakam.

“I think they should look up north for some solutions. Pascal Siakam or OG Anunoby,” Washburn said on NBC Sports Boston. “Toronto’s got to figure out whether it wants to rebuild or whether it wants to kind of re-tool. They lost Fred VanVleet, and they signed Dennis Schroder. They’re a team in total limbo right now, and they’ve got some guys on some expiring contracts coming up that might be available to the Celtics with all this draft capital, all these second-round picks that they’ve picked up over the last couple of weeks. So I think looking north would be their next move.”

Siakam is in the last year of a four-year, $136.9 million contract he signed with the Raptors in 2019. Siakam, who came into the NBA at the same time as Jaylen Brown, has not only won a title but also made two All-Star teams and two All-NBA teams.

Celtics Looking for ‘Seismic Strike’

On July 6, The Boston Globe’s Adam Himmelsbach recapped how Brad Stevens has accumulated his draft assets this summer.

“President of basketball operations Brad Stevens is gradually restocking the Celtics’ cupboard of assets. Over the last few weeks, he has added the Warriors’ 2024 first-round pick, six future second-round picks, and a 2025 second-round pick swap with the Mavericks. The Celtics also own all of their future first-round picks, with the Spurs holding rights to a potential 2028 pick swap,” Himmelsbach wrote.

He added that the Celtics have not done this because they want an infusion of youth but rather because they are planning a big trade.

“No, the Celtics do not have a plan to start a youth movement centered on draft picks. This capital will eventually serve as currency in a larger deal, with the Celtics well-positioned for a seismic strike, league sources said. The spree of recent activity has bred speculation that they could be staking out their big move right now, but a league source said that appears unlikely.”

With his resume, Siakam could fit the bill as a “seismic strike,” but Himmelsbach was not specific as to which player the Celtics could target.

Marcus Smart Shouts Out Celtics Fans After Trade

During his introductory press conference with the Memphis Grizzlies, Marcus Smart shouted out Celtics fans for their passion following their reaction to him being traded away.

“The fan reaction in the city of Boston was exactly what I expect it to be and what anybody who’s played in Boston would expect it to be. It’s all love. They ride for this city hard, man,” Smart said, per NBC Sports Boston. “That’s how it should be. You’re supposed to ride for your city like that, so it’s all love. I wasn’t surprised by that.”