Getty Nikola Vucevic tries to block Pascal Siakam
The Phoenix Suns are one of the favorites to land a $136 million two-time All-Star.
According to the latest odds from Sportsbetting.ag, the Suns have the sixth-best odds (+750) to acquire Toronto Raptors small forward Pascal Siakam if he gets traded this summer. The Raptors lost to the Chicago Bulls in the 9-10 play-in game and didn’t qualify for the playoffs and Nick Nurse was let go as head coach after the team’s season ended.
Siakam signed a four-year, $136 million rookie contract extension with the Raptors in October 2019. He has one year left on his contract. The 29-year-old will make $37.9 million in 2023-24. Siakam averaged 24.2 points, 7.8 rebounds and 5.8 assists this season while shooting 48.0% from the field, 32.4% from beyond the arc and 77.4% from the free-throw line.
The Raptors could embark on a rebuild this offseason after winning only 41 games in 2022-23. The Suns, who have an aggressive general manager in James Jones, could pursue Siakam if he becomes available on the trade market since Kevin Durant is reportedly a fan of him.
Kevin Durant Likes Pascal Siakam
Zach Lowe of ESPN reported in February that Durant is a fan of Siakam. The Brooklyn Nets tried to trade for Siakam to keep Durant, but the Raptors didn’t want to move on from “Spicy P” at the time.
“They tried to get Pascal Siakam now in the intervening 96 hours because KD made it known he likes Pascal Siakam,” Lowe said on his podcast. “He thought he would be a good fit.”
After the Nets couldn’t get Siakam, they honored Durant’s trade request and traded him to the Suns. The two-time champion and two-time Finals MVP’s fit in Phoenix has been excellent, as the Suns have lost only one game with him in the lineup. Durant and Co. defeated the Los Angeles Clippers in the first round of the playoffs in five games and will face the Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference Semifinals.
Deandre Ayton for Pascal Siakam?
Under CBA rules, the Suns could trade Deandre Ayton to the Raptors for Siakam. Ayton attempted to leave Phoenix last offseason by signing a four-year, $132.9 million offer sheet with the Indiana Pacers. However, the Suns matched the Pacers’ offer sheet.
It’s worth mentioning that Ayton and Suns head coach Monty Williams don’t have the best player-coach relationship, sources told Heavy Sports. If Phoenix doesn’t win the championship this year, Jones could look to shake up the roster.
In a March 28 article called “Who Should Be Untouchable On Every NBA Team This Offseason?,” Bleacher Report’s Zach Buckley said Durant and Devin Booker are the only players on the Suns who are untouchable in trade talks.
“Talent-wise, Booker and Durant rise above the rest of this roster. Frankly, they rise above the majority of this league. A healthy Durant has a credible case as the best player in basketball. Booker has climbed up so far on the NBA ladder he’s running out of rungs,” Buckley wrote. “They aren’t the only players in this discussion for the Phoenix Suns, though. While they could shop Chris Paul or Deandre Ayton, it’s hard to envision finding a better plug-and-play option for either spot. It would more likely involve Ayton than Paul, since the former is younger and plays less of a premium position, but neither seems super likely. Not super likely isn’t the same as impossible, though, and that’s before accounting for how an early playoff exit might impact that likelihood. What if teams dare Paul to consistently score on them, and the 37-year-old can’t? What if Ayton can’t stay on the floor again? The Suns could then be in line for substantial changes this summer, just none that involve Booker or Durant.”