Pascal Siakam Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Atlantic Notes: Siakam, Raptors, Simmons, Knicks’ Draft

July 24th, 2021 at 5:40pm CST by Arthur Hill

Sources around the league believe the Raptors will make Pascal Siakam available in trade talks this summer, according to Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report. The 27-year-old power forward averaged 21.4 points, 7.2 rebounds and 4.5 assists this season and has emerged as one of the team leaders since Kawhi Leonard left in free agency two years ago. He is under contract for three more years at $33MM, $35.4MM and $37.9MM.

Toronto has been among the NBA’s most active teams in trade discussions leading up to the draft, Fischer adds, and is exploring a wide variety of options that include trying to trade the No. 4 pick for an All-Star or trading back for future draft picks to rebuild in case they can’t re-sign Kyle Lowry.

There’s more from the Atlantic Division:

The Raptors remain interested in acquiring Ben Simmons from the Sixers, states Marc Stein (hat tip to Tim Daniels of Bleacher Report). Appearing Friday on Chad Ford’s podcast, Stein said Toronto would like to add the three-time All-Star, but the 76ers’ asking price is still very high.
The Sixers haven’t been impressed by the offers they’ve received for Simmons so far, writes Justin Grasso of Sports Illustrated. Philadelphia wants an All-Star player in his prime and no teams are offering that.
Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic examines seven draft prospects the Knicks might consider with the 19th and 21st picks. The names include Kentucky’s Isaiah Jackson, Virginia’s Trey Murphy III, Florida’s Tre Mann, Tennessee’s Jaden Springer, Oregon’s Chris Duarte, West Virginia’s Miles McBride and Auburn’s Sharife Cooper.

Warriors’ Stars Pushing For Beal Trade

July 22nd, 2021 at 8:37pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Warriors’ star players are pushing management to acquire a top-level talent in pursuit of another championship, with Bradley Beal as the top target, Marcus Thompson of The Athletic reports.

The Warriors have the No. 7 and 14 picks in next week’s draft to dangle and would likely have to add more picks along with Andrew Wiggins‘ salary to make the salaries match. Golden State would prefer to keep last year’s No. 2 overall pick, James Wiseman, but it’s speculated that Washington would also want the young center as part of any package.

Of course, Beal has never indicated he wants to be traded and the Wizards have repeatedly said they’re not interested in dealing their high-scoring All-Star. In fact, Washington is hoping to sign Beal to another extension. His current one begins in 2021/22 — it’s a two-year deal worth $71.8MM with a player option in the second year.

Beal and the Wizards would need to have a change of heart quickly with the draft just a week away.

Golden State’s trio of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green has made it clear to the team’s front office it wants a player who can help the franchise make another serious run at a title.

Beal, who was chosen for Team USA but didn’t travel to Tokyo after entering health and safety protocols, is viewed as the ideal player for Golden State’s offense due to his scoring and play-making ability. That would ease the load on Curry, who edged Beal for the league scoring title this season.

Damian Lillard could also fit that mold, but multiple sources told Thompson it’s unlikely the Trail Blazers’ perennial All-Star would want to join the Warriors. Beal is preferred over Raptors star forward Pascal Siakam, another player rumored to be a potential trade target for the Warriors.

Atlantic Notes: Celtics, Siakam, Love, Nets

July 6th, 2021 at 9:47pm CST by Eli Cohen

The Celtics have had a tumultuous start to their offseason, and fans can expect even more changes as the off-season progresses. But their options are limited, writes Chris Forsberg of NBC Sports Boston, and making large changes require creativity and precision. President of basketball operations Brad Stevens, for his part, seems to agree.

“There are some things that we have to navigate from a financial perspective,” Stevens said. “With our limited ability to sign in free agency. We’re gonna have to be creative, we’re gonna have to continue to work, and we’re gonna have to continue to see what’s out there.”

Forsberg goes step-by-step through how the Celtics will likely approach their non-taxpayer mid-level exception, their trade exceptions, and the other tools they have available this offseason as they try to rebuild this team on the fly.

We have more from around the Atlantic Division:

Following rumors of the Warriors potentially using one or both of their picks along with James Wiseman to add win-now talent, Blake Murphy of The Athletic addresses the notion that the Raptors could move Pascal Siakam in such a deal. It wouldn’t be as simple as it seems, Murphy writes, both from a financial standpoint and from the Raptors’ end, as they would rather not pursue a deal that feels like it’s selling low on their All-NBA talent.
With two years and $60MM left on his deal, the Cavaliers would surely rather trade Kevin Love than buy him out, but if no trade materializes and they do end up going the buyout rate, keep an eye on the Nets as a landing spot, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post. “I understand going into my 14th season that being that No. 1 guy, playing 35 minutes, getting 20 touches a game is probably in my rear view,” Love said after practicing with Team USA on Tuesday. “But how I can affect the team, and feeling how I’m feeling now, I know that I can do it at a very high level.”
The Long Island Nets have named Adam Caporn their head coach, according to a team press release. Caporn comes to Brooklyn’s G League affiliate after seven seasons as head coach of Basketball Australia’s Centre of Excellence, the country’s premier player development program. Caporn is also currently serving as an assistant coach for the Australian national team as they compete for a gold medal in Tokyo.

Hollinger’s Latest: Draft, Wiseman, Siakam, Trent, Combine

June 28th, 2021 at 12:47pm CST by Luke Adams

Sources who have spoken to John Hollinger of The Athletic are skeptical that the Pistons, Rockets, or Cavaliers will trade out of the top three spots in the draft.

As Hollinger notes, there are a lot of teams that figure to have interest in moving up in the draft, including several holding multiple first-round picks, such as the Magic, Thunder, and Knicks. However, it’s more difficult to find teams that will give serious consideration to moving down. Any trade up may require a substantial overpay, Hollinger adds.

Here are a few more tidbits from Hollinger following his time at the pre-draft combine in Chicago:

There’s a “widespread expectation” around the NBA that the Warriors will dangle the No. 7 pick and James Wiseman as they seek immediate roster upgrades, according to Hollinger, who identifies Raptors forward Pascal Siakam as one name to watch.
League sources widely expect restricted free agent Gary Trent Jr. to re-sign with the Raptors, says Hollinger.
Nah’Shon “Bones” Hyland might’ve boosted his stock more than any other player at the Chicago combine, per Hollinger. However, it was also a good week for Corey Kispert, Joe Wieskamp, Quentin Grimes, Jericho Sims, and A.J. Lawson, among others.
DJ Steward, Max Abmas, and Johnny Juzang were among the prospects who didn’t help their stock at the combine based on their performances in scrimmages, Hollinger writes.

Atlantic Notes: D. Green, Siakam, Harden, J. Green, Mobley

June 12th, 2021 at 10:15am CST by Eli Cohen

Sixers‘ shooting guard Danny Green is unlikely to play in Monday’s Game Four against the Hawks, writes Kurt Helin of NBC Sports. Green left Game Three less than four minutes into the game, limping to the locker room with an apparent calf strain and returning later in a walking boot. Green is set to receive an MRI today, but head coach Doc Rivers isn’t optimistic about his chances of being ready for Game Four.

“I’m not ruling Danny out, but I’m pretty much ruling him out,” Rivers said. “I doubt if he plays the next game.”

The 76ers currently hold a 2-1 lead against the Hawks going into Game Four. Furkan Korkmaz took a majority of Green’s minutes in Game Three, but Rivers has yet to make a decision about what Green’s absence will mean to the rotation on Monday.

“Just the next guy has to step up, not sure who that’s going to be yet. We’ll go back, watch film, and decide who that will be.”

We have more from around the Atlantic Division:

The Raptors had hoped that forward Pascal Siakam‘s shoulder surgery last week could be avoided, tweets TSN Sports’ Josh Lewenberg, but ultimately decided that the risk of re-injury was too high. The five-month timetable for recovery points to a November return to action, meaning Siakam will miss not only the start of the 2021/22 season but also a crucial development offseason following a let-down season for the Raptors’ star and the team as a whole. Siakam had been planning on using his longest off-season in five years to lock himself in the gym and work on expanding his game, writes Lewenberg, but this development means most of his time will be spent rehabbing and watching film.
The Nets missed James Harden‘s leadership in Game Three’s loss, writes New York Post’s Brian Lewis. With the offense bogging down against the Bucks rejuvenated defense, the Nets weren’t able to execute in the same ways they had been able to earlier in the series, and missed Harden’s ability to organize the offense. “I thought our execution could have been better throughout,” said head coach Steve Nash. “Great experience for our guys, like we said a new group, they’re still learning, they’re still figuring things out together and so it’s a great experience for us even if it was a painful one.”
Jeff Green is making progress in his rehab from plantar fasciitis and hasn’t been ruled out for Game Four, writes Brian Lewis in the same article. Though Green was still experiencing some discomfort while walking earlier in the week, the Nets forward said he’s hopeful that he’ll be able to return for Sunday’s game. The deciding factor will be how much progress he’s able to make in his ability to cut and change direction, reports New York Post’s Zach Braziller.
The Athletic’s Blake Murphy details why projected top-three pick Evan Mobley would be the perfect fit for the Raptors if they land the second pick. As a hyper-skilled seven-foot center with an intriguing blend of shooting, ball-handling and dominant defensive tools, Mobley’s fit with Siakam would be nearly seamless.

Pascal Siakam Undergoes Shoulder Surgery, Likely To Miss Start Of 2021/22

June 11th, 2021 at 12:10pm CST by Luke Adams

Raptors forward Pascal Siakam underwent successful surgery on his left shoulder in Los Angeles last week to repair a torn labrum, the team announced today in a press release.

According to the Raptors, Siakam sustained the injury during the club’s May 8 game vs. Memphis. Toronto estimates the forward will require approximately five months for recovery and rehabilitation, meaning he likely won’t be available to start the 2021/22 regular season, which begins on October 19.

It’s unclear why it took about a month after Siakam suffered the injury for him to go under the knife. Blake Murphy of The Athletic speculates (via Twitter) that the Raptors and their standout forward tried to go a non-surgical route before deciding that the procedure was necessary.

After earning his first All-Star nod in 2020, Siakam took a slight step back during the last year, struggling last summer in the bubble and then seeing some of his numbers dip during the 2020/21 season. He still averaged 21.4 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 4.5 assists per game in 56 contests (35.8 MPG), but his three-point mark declined to just 29.7%, well below his rate in the previous two seasons.

Siakam, one of the Raptors’ cornerstones, remains under contract with Toronto through the 2023/24 season. He’ll earn just over $33MM in ’21/22.

Atlantic Notes: Siakam, Bullock, Sixers, Bruce Brown

May 11th, 2021 at 6:55pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Raptors forward Pascal Siakam chatted about the challenges facing the relocated club this year and the expectations that arrive with his status as a maximum-salaried player this week, as Josh Lewenberg of TSN details.

“It’s different, it’s crazy, you get so much more attention and it’s something that I’m not used to and it’s not really me or my character,” Siakam said of life as a max player.

“Adversity, obviously, is not something that you want to go through but sometimes it defines the type of person you are,” he added, referring to the team’s struggles this season following its temporary move to Tampa from Toronto during the pandemic.

The Raptors, winners of the 2019 NBA title, will miss the playoffs for the first time since the 2012/13 season, well before Siakam was drafted. “I know that I’m a better player coming out of this and just going through the different struggles and stuff, and I’m excited about the future,” he said.

There’s more out of the Atlantic Division:

The Knicks are hoping to re-sign shooting guard Reggie Bullock, an unrestricted free agent, during the summer, writes Marc Berman of the New York Post. New York head coach Tom Thibodeau praised Bullock as the team’s “unsung hero” this past weekend. The club will hold Bullock’s Early Bird rights during the upcoming 2021 offseason. Berman notes that sources around the league believe Bullock could fetch a deal in the vicinity of the full mid-level exception ($9-10MM). He is making $4.2MM this season.
As the playoffs near, the Eastern Conference’s top-seeded Sixers could use their final four regular season games to figure out the back end of their rotation, opines Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Pompey says that reserve center Dwight Howard‘s place appears secure, but that Philadelphia still seems to need to experiment with minute allocations for guards Matisse Thybulle, Tyrese Maxey, George Hill, Shake Milton, and Furkan Korkmaz.
The injury-plagued Nets are dealing with another banged-up rotation player, after guard Bruce Brown fractured his nose during a team practice, tweets Malika Andrews of ESPN. The (now quite literally) tough-nosed Brown will play through the injury in a mask against the Bulls tonight, and the club will then equip him with another mask back in Brooklyn.

Raptors Notes: Siakam, Scariolo, Offseason

May 10th, 2021 at 11:24am CST by Luke Adams

Raptors forward Pascal Siakam, who left Saturday’s game vs. Memphis due to a left shoulder strain, said on Monday that he’s day-to-day and that he’s getting some imaging done on his injured shoulder later today, according to Blake Murphy of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Even if that imaging reveals no further damage to Siakam’s shoulder, the Raptors only have four games left in the season and are on the verge of being officially limited from the playoffs, so they’ll certainly play it safe with one of their long-term cornerstones. We’ll have to wait for an official update on Siakam, but it wouldn’t be a major surprise if we don’t see him back in action during the season’s final week.

Here’s more on the Raptors:

Veteran Raptors assistant coach Sergio Scariolo has agreed to a new multiyear deal with the team, according to a report from Chema de Lucas of Eurohoops. Toronto lost a top assistant a year ago when Nate Bjorkgren departed for Indiana and another earlier this season when Chris Finch left for Minnesota, but it appears Scariolo will be part of Nick Nurse‘s staff for the foreseeable future.
In an Insider-only piece for ESPN.com, Bobby Marks examines the major decisions facing the Raptors this offseason, including how to approach Kyle Lowry‘s impending unrestricted free agency and how much to offer Gary Trent Jr. in restricted free agency.
If the Pacers win tonight in Cleveland, the Raptors will be officially eliminated from play-in contention, per the league (Twitter link). Still, Steven Loung of Sportsnet.ca contends that the final few games of the season remain meaningful for a handful of Toronto’s young players, including rookies Malachi Flynn and Jalen Harris.

Atlantic Notes: Aldridge, Celtics, Thibs, Raptors

April 1st, 2021 at 9:28pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Speaking to reporters for the first time since signing with the Nets, big man LaMarcus Aldridge discussed his willingness to fulfill whatever role Brooklyn has in mind for him, according to Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post. Aldridge started at center in his Nets debut tonight, a 111-89 victory over the Hornets. He scored 11 points on 4-of-10 shooting from the field, pulled down nine rebounds, and dished out six dimes.

“I’m just trying to bring value, try to bring the things I’m good at, and trying to help this team win,” Aldridge said to reporters following a Nets practice Tuesday. “I’m not worried about being an All-Star anymore.

“If you could start, you’re always going to want to start,” Aldridge added of his potential role with the Nets. “As far as minutes, I think if you go out and you compete and you do everything you can, everything is going to be fine. And we’re all here to win, so it’s not about that.”

Aldridge did draw the start tonight. Nicolas Claxton earned the lion’s share of bench minutes at center, and DeAndre Jordan was a healthy scratch. The team rested oft-injured veteran power forward Blake Griffin given that the game took place on the second night of a back-to-back.

There’s more out of the Atlantic Division:

The Celtics did not acquire their top trade or buyout targets, and rival front office executives believe their days as a top East threat may be over for now, writes A. Sherrod Blakely of Bleacher Report. Boston had to settle for the third-most coveted Orlando trade target in shooting guard Evan Fournier, and was unable to lure big men Andre Drummond or LaMarcus Aldridge on the buyout market. That doesn’t mean the team won’t continue trying to build around All-Stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown in the months ahead, however. “I would be very surprised if [Celtics team president Danny Ainge] doesn’t make a big, bold move this summer,” an Eastern Conference executive opined.
Steve Popper of Newsday discusses how Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau used his ill-fated tenure with the Timberwolves to improve his methodology, New York’s recent 102-101 loss to Minnesota notwithstanding. “For me, I loved having the opportunity to step away [after being let go in Minnesota],” Thibodeau had commented during his first press conference as Knicks head coach. “Part of it was just to recharge and get away and relax, and the other part was to learn. Whatever your circumstances are at that particular time, you try to make of those.”
Several big Raptors contributors, including Fred VanVleet and Pascal Siakam, are struggling with the aftereffects of COVID-19 as they try to work themselves back into NBA condition, writes Doug Smith of The Toronto Star. “There’s spurts where we play high-level basketball and spurts where we suck, and it’s just fighting uphill,” VanVleet said after the Raptors’ 113-103 loss to the rebuilding Thunder Wednesday night. The club posted a 1-13 record in March, but are currently just two games behind the Bulls for the No. 10 seed and a play-in berth in the East.

Raptors Notes: Lowry, Powell, Siakam, Nurse

March 25th, 2021 at 7:29am CST by Luke Adams

After helping the Raptors snap their nine-game losing streak on Wednesday with a blowout win over Denver, veteran point guard Kyle Lowry admitted that it was a “weird” feeling not knowing if it was his last game with the franchise, writes Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca. Lowry is prepared for the possibility of being traded later today, on his 35th birthday.

“Whatever will be will be, honestly,” Lowry said, per Lewenberg. “That’s the truth.

“I don’t know (what I want to happen). I wish I could give you (an answer), but at the end of the day, I’m gonna (make) a decision and work it out and if something happens, it happens — if it doesn’t, it doesn’t. Everything happens for a reason. I personally, right now, I don’t really put too much thought into it. My agent is really good at his job and (is having) a lot of decisions, he’ll look at it and help facilitate that decision.”

According to Lewenberg, the odds of Lowry being traded seemed slim earlier this month. Sources tell TSN.ca that the Raptors were still telling teams last week that they didn’t intend to move him and that Lowry and his reps expected to finish the season with the club. That has changed in recent days, as Toronto has become more willing to listen to inquiries and offers for the six-time All-Star, who could be the biggest name on the move in the next seven hours.

Here’s more on the Raptors:

Norman Powell, the Raptors’ other top trade candidate, said that his preference would be to remain with Toronto, but he acknowledged that anything could happen, as Lewenberg relays. “My roots are here,” Powell said. “I’ve given everything to the franchise. Obviously I want to stay here. I’m not out looking for other teams to go play for. I’m solely focused on this season, being with the team and hopefully being able to finish out the season with them. But I understand that it’s a business.” Lewenberg and other reporters have suggested that Powell is very likely to be dealt today.
Appearing on ESPN’s Bart & Hahn Show (video link), Brian Windhorst said he believes the Raptors will essentially control the trade deadline, since Lowry and Powell are two of the top players available. Teams chasing one or both of those two may want resolution before moving onto other targets.
The Raptors’ dominant win over Denver on Wednesday showed how much upside the current group still has, but it was probably too little, too late to change the team’s approach to the deadline, writes Blake Murphy of The Athletic.
Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca provided some additional details on the confrontation between Pascal Siakam and head coach Nick Nurse that may result in a $50K fine for the Raptors forward. Grange describes Siakam’s outburst toward Nurse as one that crossed lines and included “words beyond standard cursing.” However, there’s no indication that it will lead to anything drastic involving Siakam at the trade deadline, Grange notes.
The Raptors denied a report that Siakam had been fined $50K, saying possible discipline was still being discussed internally. But since those team penalties aren’t made public, we may never know for sure whether or not Toronto fines Siakam, according to Grange, who says the club has concerns about the way the report on that fine and another recent Shams Charania report – which blamed a COVID-19 outbreak on the coaching staff not following proper masking guidelines – have surfaced.