Getty Are Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby planning on being with the Raptors long-term?
For much of the run-up to the NBA offseason, the Raptors figured to be a team to watch. And as free agency got underway, they were, indeed, a team to watch. But for rather unexpected reasons.
On Friday night, Toronto got into, and ultimately lost, a bidding war for point guard Fred VanVleet, who passed on an offer the Raptors thought was good enough to keep him—four years and $120 million. VanVleet instead was bowled over by the three-year, $130 million contract put up by Houston, which was desperate for a veteran presence on a roster populated largely by players who can’t legally rent a car.
The Raptors’ bounce-back move was to bring in journeyman point guard Dennis Schroder on a two-year midlevel deal that, at least, gives the team a credible potential starter, even if Schroder is a good distance away from VanVleet as a player and leader.
Rival GMs have been puzzled by the signals the Raptors have sent out—sometimes seeming ready to deal away stars and rebuild, other times seeming committed to running back last year’s 41-41 play-in bunch.
Raptors Start FA by Keeping Gang Together
Toronto opened the free agency period by re-signing center Jakob Poeltl. The team is in talks, too, with Gary Trent, who surprised many by opting into the final year of his contract. He could receive a sizable extension.
The word now is that the Raptors could look to bring in a quality young point guard to develop/play while Schroder holds down the fort.
Anfernee Simons would be the ideal acquisition. But one of the Magic’s horde of point guards—Jalen Suggs or Cole Anthony—would do, too, as would a potential sign-and-trade with the Bulls for Ayo Dosunmu.
But around the NBA, there is no doubt that teams would like to see Toronto make the plunge and start over, especially if it means moving stars OG Anunoby and Pascal Siakam.
“The vultures have been circling there for a while now but they have beaten back everyone who comes in with an offer for those guys,” one Eastern Conference executive told Heavy Sports. “It’s not like things changed for them automatically just because of VanVleet. They are still coming off like they want to win. But maybe the wheels start turning now, and maybe that snowballs into them deciding to start over. They’re on the clock a little bit because the best guys there are in the last year of their deals.”
Siakam, Anunoby Could Be NBA’s Top Trade Chips
That decision has not been made, obviously, and the signing of VanVleet in Houston has not caused Masai Ujiri to immediately dip a “For Sale” sign into the Raptors roster.
If he did—or if he does in the near future—he will have two of the best assets on the trade market. Pascal Siakam is coming off a year in which he averaged 24.2 points, a career high, and 5.3 assists, also a career high. Anunoby, a top-shelf defender, averaged 16.8 points last season and shot 47.6% from the field and 38.7% from the 3-point line.
As the exec mentioned, both Siakam ($38 million) and Anunoby ($18.6 million, with a player option the following season) will be eligible for free agency in 2024. If the Raptors want to get significant value for the pair, they’ll need to do so before the start of the season.
Or they could stay committed to Anunoby and Siakam, and try to find ways to add around them. VanVleet’s departure has raised hopes of a fire sale in Toronto. But it has not materialized. Not yet, at least.