Should the OKC Thunder Trade for Pascal Siakam?
Two-time All-Star and 2019 NBA champion Pascal Siakam is reportedly on the trade block.
The Toronto forward is one of multiple Raptors players who has been linked to trade talks for some time now, but in recent weeks, the rumors around Siakam have begun to heat up.
With the skilled post player reportedly being shopped on the trade market by Masai Ujiri and company, it is no surprise that fans have started to wonder if the Thunder could be involved in a potential deal for Siakam.
OKC has a wealth of future draft picks and talented young players, which seems to be what every franchise is in search of when trading a star player. With 15 first-round picks over the course of the next seven drafts, Oklahoma City could easily put together a package that would entice Toronto.
The question remains, however, if the Thunder should even attempt to add Siakam to its core. While the former New Mexico State standout is a tremendous player, the team's front office will have to decide if Siakam's play style would work with what Sam Presti and company have tried to build in the Modern Frontier.
To start, Siakam is 29-years-old, which would automatically make him one of the oldest players on OKC's roster. Additionally, the two-time All-NBA honoree is already an established veteran, who may be looking for a squad that is ready to compete for a championship in 2023-24.
Mark Daigneault and the rest of the Oklahoma City coaching staff also has yet to see how last season's lineup functions with Chet Holmgren on the floor. If the team is fluid and works well together, adding Siakam, who will certainly garner his fair share of touches on offense, could set the Thunder back rather than help the team improve.
While Siakam seems to be a positive player in the locker room, any addition takes time to gel in their new location. Bringing in Siakam could alter the team's established game plan and chemistry.
At the end of the 2022-23 season, Josh Giddey and Jalen Williams began to establish themselves as true scoring options and both appear to have improved over the summer.
Siakam would push these two down the pecking order on offense and could steal shots from OKC's other young players who still need developmental reps.
Finally, trading for Siakam means that Presti and Daigneault would be going all in to try and compete for an NBA title this season. While fans would likely be happy to hear this, it doesn't seem to be the same goal the organization has for the Thunder in 2023-24.
With that being said, Siakam is a 6-foot-9, 230-pound forward who can pass and play lockdown defense. In 2022-23, Siakam averaged 24.2 points, 7.8 rebounds and 5.8 assists per game while shooting 48% from the field and 32.4% from beyond the arc.
From a playstyle standpoint, the Cameroonian big man seems to possess all the traits that Presti and Daigneault reportedly love when evaluating players. If the Thunder do trade for Siakam, it would be a swift pivot from the team's current trajectory.
Adding another All-Star player to a squad that overachieved last year and looks poised to be even better this season would certainly shake up the NBA and would likely make OKC contenders as soon as next year.
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