What Would it Take OKC Thunder to Trade for Pascal Siakam?

The NBA is starting to hear rumors involving major players as trade season draws near. The Toronto Raptors’ Pascal Siakam, a two-time All-Star and past NBA Champion, is one of the hottest commodities right now. This season, Siakam is averaging 22.2 points, 6.4 rebounds, and five assists per game on 52.5% shooting, which is comparable to his last few seasons. The only area that has declined significantly is his 3-point percentage of 30.8%, which has had an impact on his play all season.

Despite the fact that he is an otherwise All-Star caliber player, several clubs will try to trade for him in order to get to the postseason. This includes the Sacramento Kings and Golden State Warriors, although the Oklahoma City Thunder can also enter the Siakam pool.

THE ATHLETIC TRADE PROPOSAL Oklahoma City Receives: Pascal Siakam Toronto Receives: Cason Wallace, Luguentz Dort, Davis Bertans, Houston 2024 first-round pick (protected top-four) and better of Miami 2025 (protected 1-14, unprotected in 2026) or Philadelphia (protected top-four) first-round picks Due to his expiring contract and unsure free agency desires, trading for Siakam may not take as much as it might’ve a year ago. It will still take some large assets from the roster to make it work, though, including Wallace and Dort in this proposal.

To acquire great players you have to trade away great players, so Oklahoma

City won’t have a choice in giving away some of its better players for Siakam. Trading Dort and Wallace would be

tough. Dort has been with the Thunder since 2019 and has fully transitioned into

a three-and-D player, giving it quality minutes at the small forward position on

both sides of the court. Wallace on the other hand has been one of the top

performing rookies this season, and has plenty of potential to grow into a starting

caliber player. Siakam can bring a much larger skillset in the Thunder’s starting

lineup though, adding another 20-plus points per game to a stacked starting

lineup with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Josh Giddey, Jalen Williams and Chet

Holmgren. He can provide pretty much anything outside of 3-point shooting,

which can get covered up by some of Oklahoma City’s efficient shooters.

When making the transfer, it’s critical to evaluate how well Siakam and Holmgren mesh. If they do, it might be a huge success. Along with having a big impact on the defensive end, Holmgren’s ability to move the floor helps Siakam thrive in the paint and in the mid-range game. Both players would get out to a strong start in their own games, forming a formidable frontcourt tandem. The contract situation is the biggest unknown, therefore in order to justify the deal, the Thunder must guarantee that he will resign. Siakam will help Oklahoma City for a season, but a long-term deal ensures he will be there for a long while and contribute to the team’s future. NBA trade deadlines are scheduled for Feb. 8, and only time will tell whether the Thunder decide they need to include Siakam in their expanding core.