The Golden State Warriors are strong prospects to be aggressive in the NBA trade deadline as they try to build a squad capable of competing with the top Western Conference contenders.
The Warriors abandoned their multiyear experiment of playing for the present and the future at the same time, opting to maximize their championship window down the stretch run of Steph Curry’s career.
To that end, bringing in an All-Star in his prime makes a lot of sense. On Tuesday, November 21, Bleacher Report’s Zach Buckley proposed that Golden State could recruit Pascal Siakam of the Toronto Raptors.
After watching the Warriors, it seems logical to assume that only a significant deal would help them salvage this season. That is especially true if Andrew Wiggins and Klay Thompson are unable to get things going.
If the Golden State Warriors go all-in this trade season, Pascal Siakam could be an option. He believes he is near the top of this team’s trade budget, and he would likely exceed it if he wasn’t on an expiring contract.
Cashing out top assets for a one-year rental is dangerous, but is it any riskier than not providing Curry with all he needs to compete for a championship? … [Siakam] helps on both ends, providing the defensive versatility the Dubs have preferred as well as the ability to finish or create scoring plays for himself.
Pascal Siakam Can Offer Warriors Defense, Rebounding and Scoring
Siakam has been the subject of trade rumors in the NBA since last season, and for good reason.
Toronto has underperformed in recent seasons and is in need of a rebuild. Meanwhile, Siakam is in the final year of his $137 million contract and is set to become a free agent next summer.
Siakam, a two-time All-Star, led the NBA in minutes per game the past two seasons. According to Basketball Reference, he averaged a career-high 24.2 points per game in 2022-23, along with 7.8 rebounds and 5.8 assists.
This is Siakam’s sixth season in the league, and he will turn 30 around the end of the season in early April.
Trading for Pascal Siakam Will Cost Warriors One of Their Stars
To make a trade work, the Warriors must include one of their high-paid stars in the deal.
If Toronto is actually resetting for a rebuild, the team will not want one of Golden State’s best players long term. Instead, the Raptors will look for a player with an expiring deal to round out a package that includes future draft picks and young players.
Only Thompson and point guard Chris Paul qualify. This season, Thompson earns $43.2 million, while Paul earns $30 million. The financials in NBA deals must match, or come close to matching, and Siakam is set to make $37.9 million in 2023-24.
Unless Paul chooses to return at a considerably reduced price, Golden State is set to lose Paul for nothing at the end of the season. Thompson and the Warriors have been unable to reach an agreement on a contract extension that would keep him in the Bay Area for the rest of his career.
Moving Thompson for Siakam at some point in the next few months resolves that issue, and while it may not be an instant hit with Warriors fans, any resentment is likely to fade if Siakam propels the Dubs back to the top of an incredibly talented and competitive Western Conference.
