Shams Charania Says The Atlanta Hawks Were Close to a Trade For Pascal Siakam Over the Summer
Ready for more Pascal Siakam trade talk?
There have been non-stop rumors of the Hawks being interested in trading for the versatile Raptors forward and with the team 9-12 following last night's loss to the 76ers, the rumors are going to be coming in again as the Hawks ponder a potential move to help their team.
When appearing on TSN's Overdrive, NBA Insider Shams Charania was discussing the Toronto Raptors and their possible plans as far as trades go. After mentioning that Scottie Barnes is the only player that is untouchable, Charania mentioned how close the Hawks were to completing a trade for the Raptors forward:
"I can tell you guys, Atlanta felt like they were close and that they had a good, a pretty good package for Pascal Siakam last summer in July and there was some pretty intense conversations back forth with a deal centered around De'Andre Hunter, AJ Griffin and draft compensation and the deal did not get done so we will see as we get closer over the next several months."
You can listen to the clip below.
A couple of weeks ago, there were rumors that the Hawks were monitoring Siakam as a trade target.
According to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.com, Atlanta continues to monitor Toronto Raptors forward Pascal Siakam as a potenital trade target.
Should the Hawks trade for Pascal Siakam?
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Here is what Scotto had to say about the potential trade:
"The Atlanta Hawks continue to monitor Toronto Raptors forward Pascal Siakam as a potential trade target after attempting to acquire him during the offseason, league sources told HoopsHype.
While Atlanta was unable to acquire Siakam over the summer, Jalen Johnson has emerged as an early Most Improved Player candidate, averaging career-highs in points (14.1) on 59.4 percent from the field and 42.5 percent from beyond the arc with 7.3 rebounds as the starting forward before suffering a left wrist injury that could sideline him 4-to-6 weeks, per Shams Charania of The Athletic.
“Jalen Johnson has been their third best player this year behind Trae Young and Dejounte Murray,” an NBA executive told HoopsHype.
Hawks forward De’Andre Hunter was among the players discussed during the Siakam talks, and his $20 million salary and versatility on both sides of the ball playing both forward spots at times makes him a trade candidate to watch in a potential deal.
Another Hawks frontcourt player, center Clint Capela, was linked to the Mavericks this offseason, but with the emergence of rookie center Derrick Lively, Dallas’ trade interest in Capela has since faded. However, after signing Onyeka Okongwu to an extension, some rival executives believe Capela could be used as a trade chip again before the February trade deadline.
Patty Mills and his $6.8 million expiring contract is a noteworthy trade chip that could also be included to match salaries."
This is going to be a storyline to watch and follow over the next few months until the trade deadline passes. If the Hawks keep losing games, management could feel pressure to make some changes.
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