A colleague who hasn’t seen me in months comes in for a visit, sits one seat over from me during the Knicks game, and the first thing he says is:
“Do they intend to trade Pascal (Siakam)?” He’s a perfect fit for the Golden State Warriors.”
And so it starts.
A quarter of the way through the regular season is widely regarded as the point at which teams understand who and what they are, as well as what they may need to do to address any issues in the two months before the trade deadline.
That has always been the private thought of many in the Raptors’ upper echelon decision-making organizational chart; they prefer to sit back and watch how things unfold here and throughout the league until about mid-December.
And now that we’ve arrived, let the games begin.
After speaking with executives, players, and scouts this week, the general consensus throughout the league is that the Raptors almost have to do something, and the most prominent name out there is Siakam.
Yes, Gary Trent Jr. and OG Anunoby are two other potential summer free agents, but the Raptors’ return on Siakam and his $37 million salary is the most intriguing asset.
Almost every day, the where and for whom changes. Golden State has been approached for a Jonathan Kuminga-led package that could include taking on Chris Paul and waiving his contract around the buyout deadline. Keegan Murray and Harrison Barnes would have to be targets if Sacramento comes calling. Many other suitors will approach you.
Don’t think for a second that this is all in the heads of Toronto players.
They are familiar with their contracts, the record, and recent history. They don’t talk about it publicly, but they are aware of it.
“It’s 20 games in, and the next 20 games are going to be really important for the team, for the organization,” Dennis Schröder said earlier this week.
Masai Ujiri and Bobby Webster have created a great deal of financial flexibility.
Small contracts include Malachi Flynn ($3.8 million) and Precious Achiuwa ($4.3 million); low-middle contracts include Thad Young ($8 million) and Otto Porter Jr. ($6.3 million); and high-middle contracts include Anunoby ($18.6 million), Gary Trent Jr. ($18.5 million), and Chris Boucher ($11.7 million).
Individually, not many of those players would produce a significant return. However, as one agent stated this week, there are numerous combinations that would allow the math to work in any type of transaction.
This isn’t to say the Raptors will make a deal; Ujiri’s track record suggests he’s unlikely to do anything significant, but the speculation has begun, and it’s not going away.
“They’ve got to trade someone, right?” said my friend. And Siakam is the most logical, isn’t he?”
Five Simple Solutions
The In-Season Tournament was an unqualified success for the league as a whole, with good TV numbers, good attendance, and more publicity than ever before for November regular season games.
To be honest, the fact that it didn’t reverberate too loudly here because the Raptors bowed out so meekly and quickly doesn’t mean much.
That being said, there are many areas that need to be cleaned up in some way, and after speaking with some players, colleagues, coaches, and plunging into the depths of the mind, here are five steps that should be taken:
— Increase the stakes: This is a personal favorite, but I’d like to see the winning team receive a “sandwich” draft pick as a prize. The 31st pick, sandwiched between the first and second rounds and lacking the fully guaranteed contract of a first-round pick, is certainly something to consider.
— Change the group stage: Going to larger groups reduces the points differential mess we saw this year because fewer teams are in the running.
— Earn your way in: This comes from José Calderón via Sportsnet reporter Michael Grange and is most likely not feasible in terms of scheduling. However, it sounds intriguing. Remove the games from the schedule and invite only 24 of the 30 teams to the tournament based on the previous year’s standings.
— Improve the appearance: It’s mostly cosmetic, and I think having a different court for tournament games is a good idea in general, but this year’s — some blue, some red, a black, and a grey — were hideous and inconsistent. Find one and spread it throughout the league.
— Oh, and the name: Darko Rajakovic this week. “I hope this robust name In-Season Tournament gets some official name, name it after a player, name it Kobe Bryant Trophy or something like that.”
There is already a Bryant trophy for the MVP of the All-Star Game, so that’s out, but Rajakovic has a valid point.
Consider this:
The NBA Championship.
Otto Porter Jr. is back.
At least for the time being.
Porter played about 15 minutes against Miami, did not score, but did register an individual plus-14.
(Spoiler alert: not a lot.)
It was a sign that he’s back in the rotation, albeit at the expense of Jalen McDaniels, and no one is too upset about it.
“I think he (Porter) did a good job tonight and he’s going to be in rotation for now going forward,” Rajakovic said in a statement. “We’ll see if he’s going to sit a game out here or there for load management.” But he did a fantastic job the last week or so with his (practice and game-day) play groups, conditioning, and just getting back into the rhythm of playing.”
Porter should provide some shooting, and when he’s on the court, things appear to be more calm and organized. He just needs to stay healthy and fit enough to be relied on.
Mail delivery
We like to get all of the submissions for the weekly mailbag in by Friday so I can get a head start on it before the game that night and not have to get up too early and work too hard Saturday morning.
So, if you could send the messages to [email protected] soon, that would be great.
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