Pascal Siakam Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Raptors Notes: Trade Deadline, Siakam, Ujiri, Tanking

December 21st, 2022 at 9:54pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Raptors have received phone calls about their core players, multiple sources tell Josh Lewenberg of TSN. And while the front office has been listening to all the trade offers, no deals are close right now.

Rival teams are paying close attention to Toronto, which had lost six straight games before winning in New York tonight. Lewenberg considers everyone except Rookie of the Year Scottie Barnes to be available, although it would take a significant offer to land some of the other players. Pascal Siakam and Fred VanVleet are both All-Stars who are still in their prime, Lewenberg points out, while OG Anunoby is even younger and has become an accomplished two-way player.

Even if the Raptors decide to become sellers, Lewenberg doesn’t expect them to bottom out completely. He notes that the organization has worked hard to build a winning culture and isn’t likely to jeopardize that for a small chance to get one of the top picks in the lottery.

There’s more on the Raptors:

Siakam, who scored 52 points tonight against the Knicks, may be the only thing preventing Toronto from being a definite lottery team, writes Eric Koreen of The Athletic. Koreen considers a Siakam deal to be a sign that the Raptors are “blowing it up,” while a trade of VanVleet or Anunoby wouldn’t be on that level. Siakam understands that the best way to quiet the trade talk is to start winning. “At the end of the day, I don’t care about the schemes or this or that,” he said after Monday’s game. “We’ve just got to win. That’s the only thing. I don’t know the difference compared to (past) groups. I just know this group right now, we’re struggling. It’s really bad. We have to get out of it.”
Team president Masai Ujiri has built a reputation for patience since he took over the Raptors, but that might be tested heading into this season’s trade deadline, suggests Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca. Grange points out that Ujiri had a two-year plan — last season and this one — to evaluate the players and decide who to build around.
Tanking should be on the table, argues Dave Feschuk of The Toronto Star, because the Raptors don’t have enough talent on their roster to rise above the middle in the East. The primary need, according to Feschuk, is to find someone who can penetrate into the paint and either score or create an open shot for a teammate.

Raptors Notes: Core, Trade Options, Poeltl, Shooting Woes

December 14th, 2022 at 8:00am CST by Luke Adams

The Raptors remain high on their core of Pascal Siakam, Scottie Barnes, Fred VanVleet, and OG Anunoby and believe that quartet is a strong foundation for an elite team, writes Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca.

If the front office is sincere in that belief, it would make sense to aggressively seek out an upgrade on the trade market prior to this season’s deadline to complement those core players, perhaps using a future draft pick or two, Grange argues.

Grange points to Spurs center (and former Raptor) Jakob Poeltl as an ideal target for Toronto, based on his ability to protect the rim on defense and finish at the rim on offense. Poeltl is also on an expiring contract and has full Bird rights, making him a logical option for the Raptors, who want to maintain their cap flexibility while having the ability to invest in a player they like. Given Toronto’s shooting woes, the team could also talk to San Antonio about veteran forward Doug McDermott, Grange notes.

Here’s more on the Raptors:

Within his Sportsnet.ca story linked above, Grange says the Raptors are believed to be making calls with “some more urgency than would otherwise be expected from a management group that tries to keep things low key.”
The Raptors are one of the NBA’s lowest-ranked teams in terms of both three-pointers per game (25th) and three-point percentage (26th), prompting Eric Koreen of The Athletic to explore what they can do address their shooting woes. While it would help if certain players – like VanVleet, Anunoby, Gary Trent Jr. – bumped their three-point rates to their career averages, acquiring another shooter should also be something the team seriously considers, as Koreen outlines.
Despite falling below .500 following two ugly losses in Orlando, the Raptors remain optimistic that better days are ahead, writes Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca. “We can’t hit the panic button. I know that a lot of people do hit that panic button real quick but (we’re) not doing that,” Siakam said. “… There’s no finger pointing. We’re all in this together. No matter what’s happening, those guys in here, I love them and I want everyone to succeed, I want us to succeed as a team. I think we’ve all got to do it together. Everyone’s in this together and we’ve gotta get out of it together.”
In case you missed it, we passed along a series of injury updates on Raptors frontcourt players on Tuesday.

Atlantic Notes: Raptors, Barnes, Celtics, Simmons

December 9th, 2022 at 9:30am CST by Luke Adams

Rival executives are keeping a close eye this season on the Raptors, according to ESPN’s Zach Lowe (Insider link), who says those execs are “bracing for fireworks” if Toronto is still right around .500 as February’s trade deadline approaches. The club is currently 13-12.

As Lowe lays out, rival teams are uncertain about whether the Raptors intend to stick with forwards Pascal Siakam, OG Anunoby, and Scottie Barnes long-term or if they’d eventually be open to moving one of them. There’s also a question about whether Fred VanVleet, who can become an unrestricted free agent in 2023, fits the vision of a team that is primarily made up of longer, more versatile athletes.

Raptors president Masai Ujiri has shown a willingness to shake things up in the past rather than settling for being a middle-of-the-road playoff contender, most memorably trading for Kawhi Leonard in 2018. Rival executives are curious to see whether how long he’ll be content to wait out the current group if it doesn’t take a major step forward, per Lowe.

Here are a few more notes from around the Atlantic:

Raptors fans frustrated by Scottie Barnes‘ up-and-down play this fall following his Rookie of the Year campaign last season should look to the evolution of Celtics stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown for reassurance, says Eric Koreen of The Athletic. As Koreen observes, Tatum was less effective in his second season than his first, while Brown took a minor step backward in his third year, a reminder that a top prospect’s development isn’t always linear.
Revamping the offense after its struggles in last season’s NBA Finals was a primary focus all offseason for Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla, even before he was promoted to replace Ime Udoka, writes Tim Bontemps of ESPN. Some tweaks from the coaching staff and some personnel changes have helped turn Boston’s offense into the NBA’s best. According to Bontemps, the Celtics’ 120.8 points per game would be the highest average by any team in nearly 30 years, while the team’s 62.6 true shooting percentage would be an NBA record.
As expected, Nets swingman Ben Simmons is set to make his return from a calf strain on Friday following a four-game absence. He’s not listed on Brooklyn’s injury report for the game vs. Atlanta, notes Ian Begley of SNY.tv (Twitter link).

Raptors Notes: Achiuwa, Young, Hernangomez, Barnes, Trent

November 29th, 2022 at 7:31am CST by Luke Adams

Raptors big man Precious Achiuwa has been sidelined since November 9 after sustaining partial ligament tears in his right ankle and will remain on the shelf for the foreseeable future. Head coach Nick Nurse told reporters on Monday that it will be another two or three weeks before the team even has a clearer sense of a timeline for Achiuwa’s return, tweets Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca.

One silver lining of Achiuwa’s injury is that it has given two other Raptors bigs an opportunity to prove their mettle as regular contributors.

Veteran forward/center Thaddeus Young has averaged 10.1 PPG, 6.4 RPG, 3.1 APG, and 1.6 SPG in eight games (26.7 MPG) since Achiuwa went down, while forward Juancho Hernangomez has averaged 6.6 PPG and 6.5 RPG in the same eight games (24.2 MPG). Neither player was a rotation mainstay during the early part of the season.

Here’s more on the Raptors:

Young and Hernangomez were in the Raptors’ starting five on Monday vs. Cleveland, even with forward Pascal Siakam back in the lineup for the first time in 10 games. As Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca writes, Gary Trent Jr. came off the bench for the first time this season and just the fourth time as a Raptor, while Scottie Barnes was a reserve for the first time in his NBA career.
Nurse didn’t say whether the new-look lineup would stick beyond Monday’s game, but explained to reporters that he wanted to maintain some continuity and not have so many players who were coming off absences (Siakam, Barnes) or struggling (Trent) in his starting five.
While both Barnes and Trent said on Monday that they were fine with the change, Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca suggests that Barnes “didn’t seem thrilled about his demotion” to the bench. When he received some push-back on his interpretation, Lewenberg posted the video clip of Barnes addressing the move, tweeting that the reigning Rookie of the Year “didn’t sound like somebody who was psyched about his (temporary) move to the bench.” Lewenberg expects Barnes to be back in the starting five in short order if he shows he’s healthy and can be more consistent.

Raptors’ Siakam To Play Monday After 10-Game Absence

November 28th, 2022 at 5:01pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Raptors star forward Pascal Siakam will return to action on Monday, Chris Fedor of the Cleveland Plain Dealer tweets.

Siakam was sidelined early this month with a right adductor strain. Siakam was off to a powerful start prior to suffering the injury on Nov. 4 in Dallas. In his first nine games (35.7 MPG), the 28-year-old was averaging 24.8 points, 9.3 rebounds, and 7.7 assists.

Siakam was cleared for contact last week and fully participated in a team practice on Friday, He missed 10 games and the Raptors went 5-5 during that span.

The star forward will be under a minutes restriction, according to coach Nick Nurse (Twitter link via Michael Grange of Sportsnet).

There’s more good news for the Raptors, according to Fedor. Scottie Barnes will also play after a two-game absence due to a left knee sprain.

Atlantic Notes: Siakam, Milton, Niang, Toppin, Harris

November 27th, 2022 at 1:47pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Raptors star big man Pascal Siakam, who has been sidelined with a right adductor strain since November 4, was cleared for contact and fully participated in a team practice on Friday, per Josh Lewenberg of TSN Sports (via Twitter).

Lewenberg tweets that Siakam feels that he is improving daily, and remains deferential to Toronto’s medical staff when it comes to managing his ailment.

Toronto has upgraded Siakam’s status to questionable ahead of the team’s game against the Cavaliers on Monday night, reports Marc Stein (Twitter link). If Siakam is determined to be not quite ready for Monday’s game, he could return to the floor against the Pelicans on Wednesday, Lewenberg adds.

There’s more out of the Atlantic Division:

Sixers reserves Shake Milton and Georges Niang, both of whom will be unrestricted free agents in 2023, have been playing well in the absence of injured Philadelphia stars James Harden, Tyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid, writes Kyle Neubeck of PhillyVoice.com. Neubeck notes that Milton, who hadn’t received much playing time of late, has exhibited an enticing display of scoring, ball-handling, and off-ball defense as a fill-in starter that could earn him more minutes long-term. Neubeck adds that Niang’s reliable three-point shot has opened up the team’s offense when he plays.
Knicks backup power forward Obi Toppin is hoping to return to his early-season long-range shooting form, per Peter Botte of The New York Post. “I feel like I’m still taking the right shots, it’s just not falling,” Toppin told Botte following a practice on Saturday. “I’m just in a little lull right now, and I’m gonna break out of that real soon. Have to start hitting shots again, and continue making the right plays. But I know I don’t have to shoot good to play good.” Toppin has shot just 16.7% from deep in his last five games. The 6’9″ big man had made 42.4% of his triples during New York’s first 14 contests.
Nets sharpshooter Joe Harris has seen his minutes reduced as his three-point shooting takes a dip, according to Mark W. Sanchez of The New York Post. Harris has shot just 2-of-16 from the floor across his last three Brooklyn games. “We really shortened the rotation,” head coach Jacque Vaughn said. Only eight Nets players logged for 10 minutes or more in a 128-117 Friday loss to the Pacers. At 12:02, Harris played the fewest minutes among that top eight.

Injury Notes: LeBron, Barnes, Siakam, Beal, Conley

November 22nd, 2022 at 3:21pm CST by Luke Adams

Lakers star LeBron James will miss a fifth consecutive game due to his left groin strain, having been ruled out for Tuesday’s contest vs. the Suns, according to the team (Twitter link via Dave McMenamin of ESPN).

James’ injury initially looked like it might be a death knell for the struggling Lakers, but the club has gone 3-1 without him, perhaps affording him a little extra time to recover. Still, it would certainly qualify as an upset if L.A. is able to pick up a victory tonight in Phoenix.

Here are a few more injury updates from around the NBA:

Raptors forward Scottie Barnes sat out practice on Tuesday and is considered day-to-day due to a left knee sprain, according to Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca (Twitter links). Head coach Nick Nurse told reporters he doesn’t think the injury is “terribly bad,” but Lewenberg says it sounds like the reigning Rookie of the Year will miss a little time.
Another injured Raptors forward, Pascal Siakam, will ramp up his work in practice this week and hopes to be cleared for contact this weekend, tweets Lewenberg. Barring setbacks, there’s optimism that Siakam will be back in action sometime next week.
Wizards star Bradley Beal, who took a knee to his quad on Sunday, didn’t practice on Tuesday and is questionable for Wednesday’s game in Miami, head coach Wes Unseld Jr. said today (Twitter link via Josh Robbins of The Athletic).
Jazz guard Mike Conley said on Monday night that “everything came out clean” on his left leg injury, per Mark Medina of NBA.com (Twitter link). Presumably, that means further testing didn’t reveal any significant damage beyond the initially reported knee strain, but Conley is still expected to miss some time. The veteran said on Monday that he has done some individual strength work, but no on-court activities yet.

Atlantic Notes: Trent Jr., Siakam, Robinson, Irving, Williams

November 21st, 2022 at 8:08pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Gary Trent Jr., who has been out of the Raptors lineup since Nov. 12 due to a hip injury and an illness, is expected to play on Wednesday, Doug Smith of the Toronto Star reports.

Chris Boucher, who hasn’t played since Wednesday due to a non-COVID illness, and Trent took part in Monday’s light workout and should both be available against the Nets this Wednesday.

In another promising development, Pascal Siakam also participated in the practice on a limited basis. He has missed eight games due to an adductor strain.

“We certainly needed to survive here and Pascal was out there today in practice,” coach Nick Nurse said. “Well, not a whole lot of people in contact (practices) these days when the numbers are what they are, so he was out there moving around. So we shouldn’t be awfully far away from him being back.”

We have more from the Atlantic Division:

Knicks center Mitchell Robinson didn’t have much of an impact in his return to action, Peter Botte of the New York Post notes. Robinson, who suffered a sprained right knee on Nov. 4 against the Sixers, finished with two points, four rebounds and two blocked shots in 17 minutes against Phoenix on Sunday. “I don’t feel that far behind,” Robinson said. “I feel like I’m way better than I was last year as far as conditioning-wise. But since this happened, I’ve got to build it back up.” Jericho Sims, who filled in for Robinson, will likely drop out of the rotation.
Kyrie Irving had his suspension lifted on Sunday and the Players’ Association will not file a grievance for the games he missed, Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic tweets. Executive director Tamika Tremaglio said the union opted not to file a grievance with the league against the Nets on behalf of Irving, who missed eight games without pay.
Celtics center Robert Williams has progressed to 3-on-3 work, another step in his knee rehab, Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe reports. “We’re happy with him as far as his progression and the work he’s put in toward coming back,” coach Joe Mazzulla said. “He’s picking it up on the court a little bit. … He looks good. He’s healthy and responding well to it. He’s in a good space as far as patience, and he’s doing the work he needs to do.” There’s no set timetable for Williams’ return to full practices and games.

Injury Updates: Magic, Bulls, Celtics, Raptors, Heat, Hayward, More

November 18th, 2022 at 1:49pm CST by Luke Adams

The Magic will be getting some reinforcements for Friday’s game in Chicago, according to Khobi Price of The Orlando Sentinel. Veteran guard Gary Harris has been cleared to make his regular season debut following offseason arthroscopic surgery on his left knee, Price reports. Additionally, starting center Wendell Carter Jr. will be back in the lineup after missing Wednesday’s game due to a strained right plantar fascia.

Orlando’s opponents also got some good injury-related news on Friday. As Rob Schaefer of NBC Sports Chicago writes, Bulls guard Coby White (left quad contusion) and forward Patrick Williams (right ankle sprain) both said at Friday’s shootaround that they’ll be able to play against the Magic. White has missed the last eight games as a result of his injury; Williams sprained his ankle on Wednesday, but it appears the injury won’t cost him any games.

Here are several more injury updates from around the NBA:

As expected, Celtics guard Malcolm Brogdon will be available on Friday vs. New Orleans after missing four games with a hamstring injury. However, the team announced that Marcus Smart (right ankle inflammation) will miss a second straight game (Twitter link).
The already shorthanded Raptors will be missing Gary Trent Jr. and Chris Boucher on Saturday vs. Atlanta due to non-COVID illnesses, tweets Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca. However, Eric Koreen of The Athletic tweets that Dalano Banton‘s ankle sprain isn’t as serious as initially feared and Pascal Siakam (adductor strain) has resumed on-court activity. Another update on Siakam is expected in a week or so, Koreen adds.
Heat star Jimmy Butler (knee soreness) has been ruled out for Friday’s game against Washington and it’s possible that Bam Adebayo (knee contusion) won’t be available either, writes Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. Adebayo is currently listed as questionable.
Hornets forward Gordon Hayward, who has been on the shelf since November 2 due to a left shoulder contusion, has been upgraded from doubtful to questionable for Friday’s game vs. Cleveland, according to the team (Twitter link).
Pacers sharpshooter Chris Duarte isn’t expected to be available during the team’s upcoming four-game home stand, but could return from his ankle sprain at some point in the subsequent seven-game road trip, tweets Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star. That trip begins on November 27 and runs through December 7.
Sixers guard Jaden Springer, currently assigned to the Delaware Blue Coats in the G League, will miss at least one week due to a right quadriceps strain, tweets Kyle Neubeck of PhillyVoice.com.

Eastern Notes: VanVleet, Barnes, Allen, Irving, Udoka

November 13th, 2022 at 8:12pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Raptors guard Fred VanVleet will miss his second straight game on Monday due to a non-COVID illness, Josh Lewenberg of TSN Sports tweets. The Raptors are facing the struggling Pistons in Detroit. Forwards Pascal Siakam and Precious Achiuwa are also out of action, while big man Khem Birch is listed as questionable.

We have more from the Eastern Conference

Scottie Barnes had a rough shooting night in Indiana on Saturday and the Raptors need more from their dynamic second-year forward, Doug Smith of the Toronto Star writes. Barnes is averaging 13.8 points, 6.6 rebounds and 4.9 assists per game but he has only reached the 20-point mark once despite the team’s injuries. Teammate Thaddeus Young says Barnes will break out soon. “Sometimes guys have a bad streak of games, or sometimes they have a bad start to the season then they take off at some point,” he said. “Things will change; they always do.”
Jarrett Allen missed Sunday’s game due to ankle soreness but coach J.B. Bickerstaff indicated prior to the game the Cavaliers center will likely return this week, Kelsey Russo of The Athletic tweets. “The thinking behind it is having today will give him like four days of rest before Milwaukee (on Wednesday),” Bickerstaff said. “It’s just been sore and he’s been powering through it.”
Nets guard Kyrie Irving sent out a tweet on Sunday related to his suspension, Brian Lewis of the New York Post relays. Irving stated that he was not trying to incite racial disharmony or prejudice. “I was not put here on earth to participate in any religious/political wars or incite racial disharmony/prejudice within communities,” he wrote. “We are all equal under the sun and I am here to participate in the building of an Equal world and follow the Word from the Most High/GOD/YAH.”
The Celtics were willing to let Ime Udoka take the Nets job without demanding any compensation in return, according to Jay King of The Athletic. Now, the organization still has to decide what to do with Udoka after the season unless another suitor comes along. It seems likely Udoka will never coach the team again, King adds.