NBA Trades: Could Pascal Siakam Land in Oklahoma City?

The Oklahoma City Thunder haven’t made a big trade that pushes the team forward in quite some time, mostly because they’ve been going through a rebuild for several years. However, this is a pivotal point in that process in which it makes sense to at least consider splashy trade opportunities.

One name that would make sense for OKC this offseason on paper is a move for Pascal Siakam of the Toronto Raptors, who is reportedly available for the right price. The Thunder have plenty of assets to facilitate a trade like this and he would be the perfect power forward alongside Chet Holmgren in the starting lineup.

With that in mind, Siakam’s camp has indicated that he won’t re-sign with just any team after the upcoming season, which makes things tricky. He’s set to be an unrestricted free agent next summer, meaning any team that acquires him could be bringing in a rental.

The 29-year-old is one of the best forwards in the league, but trade packages will be hard to agree upon. Teams looking to acquire him will be making a deal predicated on the potential of him walking in free agency, while the Raptors will want compensation for his on-court value which will be much higher.

While this will make things difficult for the Thunder, there’s also a roster crunch happening entering training camp. Oklahoma City needs to waive or trade five players before October, which could play into this situation if Siakam became a target. If the Thunder could make a consolidation trade for Siakam and alleviate the roster crunch while also ensuring they don’t give up too large of an asset base, this would be a great move.

With Siakam in OKC, the team would without a doubt have a playoff roster with a chance of even hosting a first-round series. It seems unlikely that Sam Presti would make this type of move now, but he’s all about maximizing assets and could be ready to push this team even further forward.

Want to join the discussion? Like Inside the Thunder on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to stay up to date on all the latest Thunder news. You can also meet the team behind the coverage.