The Toronto Raptors have one other star reaching free company. As soon as once more, they’re standing pat.
Raptors ahead Pascal Siakam is within the closing yr of his contract. Whereas he can signal a four-year extension with the workforce for as much as 4 years and $192M anytime earlier than June 30, Sportsnet’s Michael Grange reports that “either side has eyed Dec. 30 as a possible impetus to achieve a call.” That strongly implies that Siakam will attain free company, the following in a collection of stars from Toronto’s 2019 championship workforce to take action.
This summer time, Fred VanVleet left for the Houston Rockets in free company. In 2021, it was Kyle Lowry leaving for the Miami Warmth in a sign-and-trade. Marc Gasol left as a free agent in 2020. All that Toronto received in return was Valuable Achiuwa, who has averaged 9 factors per sport in two-and-a-half seasons with the Raptors.
The issue appears to be Toronto’s indecisiveness. It does not need to re-sign its veterans, nevertheless it additionally does not need to commerce them and get one thing again. The workforce does not need to reset the workforce or rebuild round 2021-22 Rookie of the 12 months Scottie Barnes, nevertheless it additionally does not have a playoff-caliber supporting solid round him.
It might be too late to extract true worth from a two-time All-Star like Siakam. As Grange writes, “Nobody goes to pay high greenback for a half-season of labor from a participant who may go away in free company.”
With the Raptors in twelfth place with a 12-18 file, they want to determine what’s taking place with Siakam. The identical goes for OG Anunoby and Gary Trent Jr., who can each change into free brokers after the season. It doesn’t matter what path the Raptors select, dropping starters for nothing in return is not going to get them anyplace.