If the Raptors are searching for a perfect partner to make a good Pascal Siakam trade with, there are a few qualities that would be nice to have. The team would need incentive to win now, too many young players to extend long-term and a surplus of draft picks.
There is exactly one team that meets all of these criteria: the Thunder, who are way ahead of schedule and have a legitimate chance to win a championship this season with one more piece.
Could Siakam, a potential rental given his free agency status, be their Kawhi Leonard? Here's one potential deal that could make it happen.
MORE: These trade targets can help Raptors rebuild around Scottie Barnes
Why Raptors say yes and no: Pascal Siakam trade to Thunder for Luguentz Dort, Cason Wallace, draft pick
The trade
Pascal Siakam, Otto Porter Jr. and Garrett Temple for Luguentz Dort, Cason Wallace, Vasilije Micic, Davis Bertans and a 2024 first-round pick from the Clippers.
Why this trade
Given the return for O.G. Anunoby, it seems as if the Raptors want to prioritize receiving young, productive players who can help them immediately. Dort and Wallace fit that mold perfectly.
Josh Giddey could be another possibility. He hasn't fit well this season, and the Raptors were reportedly very interested in him during his draft. But considering his recent legal problems and the poor fit with Scottie Barnes, Dort and Wallace make more sense.
Micic and Bertans haven't been key rotation players for the Thunder. They would be added to match Siakam's salary.
MORE: Why Raptors say yes and no to this Pascal Siakam-to-Pistons trade
Why Raptors say yes
The Raptors need players who can hit 3s to play around Barnes. Wallace and Dort are shooting 43.8 and 41.8 percent, respectively, from 3 this season. They're both quality defenders who give a ton of effort on that end of the floor as well.
Dort in particular is one of the best point-of-attack defenders in the league, which is one of Barnes' few natural weaknesses. He's still only 24 years old and in the second year of a five-year, $82.5 million contract that makes him a very reasonably paid starter. Canadian fans are familiar with how good he can be after his time playing on Canada's national team.
Wallace, taken with the 10th pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, has a very high floor. He's a shotmaker who can guard up despite his 6-foot-4 size because of how tenacious he is. He's stepped up and immediately become a productive NBA rotation player.
This also gives the Raptors some more playmaking in Micic, who is one of the more creative passers in the league. And Bertans, who is mostly in this trade for his salary, might actually play in Toronto. He can't defend at a high level, but he is a knock-down 3-point shooter on high volume.
Getting a pick in this deal is a little dicey — the Raptors are already getting a great deal for a potential Siakam rental — but the Thunder are projected to have three first-round picks in the 2024 draft, along with a second-rounder. They have potentially 37 future picks in total. There's no way they can even roster that many players. The Raptors could squeeze out that Clippers pick, projected to be in the mid-20s.
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Why Raptors say no
This would be a great package for the Raptors, but Dort and Wallace are not better players than Siakam. If they do start playing better with Immanuel Quickley and RJ Barrett, then maybe they would pivot and hold onto Siakam long-term.
Would the Thunder even sign off on this?
The Thunder would be taking a real risk here in trading for a guy who can be a free agent in the summer. But they're already the No. 3 team in the West. This is their opportunity to steal a championship.
Siakam is a great two-way player. He's a good cutter who can fit into the Thunder's style of play, and he feasts in transition. He would make switching an untenable strategy because he can punish smaller players. A pick-and-roll between Siakam and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander would be impossible to guard.
Defensively, Siakam would be great in the Thunder's switch-heavy system. He gives the team some much-needed size and the ability to have a different look in the playoffs. They have been using 6-6 forward Kenrich Williams as a small ball center, but Siakam is a more viable option there at 6-8. He also has experience in that role with the Raptors.
Porter could give the Thunder a veteran with championship experience who can shoot and defend at a high level when healthy. Temple, a break-in-case-of-emergency wing, is one of the best locker room vets in the league.
MORE: Why Raptors say yes and no to this Pascal Siakam-to-Pacers trade
Losing Dort would hurt, as would moving on from Wallace, but Dort is a role player and Wallace is the fifth-best prospect on the team. The Thunder are not going to be able to keep all of these guys.
Siakam is the best player currently on the trade market. He's made two All-NBA teams over the past four seasons. He has unique strengths that Mark Daigneault, one of the best and most creative coaches in the league, could get the most out of.
This is a high-upside gamble that barely dips into the Thunder's asset trove. Even if it doesn't work out, they can still recoup some value by signing and trading Siakam to a team this summer given that there are not going to be many teams with max cap space.
These are the types of moves that Sam Presti has shrewdly said yes to in the past.
