One NBA executive suggested that the Golden State Warriors trade a package of young players and veteran forward Draymond Green in a deal with the Toronto Raptors to acquire Pascal Siakam at this season’s trade deadline.
Bleacher Report’s Eric Pincus explained the trade market for Siakam, noting the Dallas Mavericks as another potential team that could acquire the one-time All-Star.
“Siakam is a little more complex at a pricier $35.4 million salary with $38 million due for 2023-24,” Pincus wrote. “The Mavericks could be a suitor. One executive suggested the Warriors give up their younger players (James Wiseman, Jonathan Kuminga and/or Moses Moody) along with Draymond Green to the Raptors for Siakam and others.”
It may be hard for the Warriors to part ways with Green, as he’s been a part of the team’s four NBA titles in recent seasons, but he also is a free agent following the 2022-23 campaign if he decides to decline his player option.
Golden State has plenty of young talent, but Moody, Kuminga and Wiseman have struggled at times to crack into the team’s rotation.
With so many veterans on the roster and Golden State looking to win a title, adding a player like Siakam may help the Warriors maximize the championship window with Stephen Curry still on the team.
The Warriors won the NBA Finals last season, but they lost two key veterans in Otto Porter Jr. and Gary Payton II in free agency this past offseason.
Golden State has struggled in the 2022-23 campaign, especially on the road where it is just 6-18. It currently holds the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference.
Siakam is having an All-Star caliber season for the Raptors, as he is averaging 25.2 points, 8.3 rebounds and 6.5 assists per game while shooting 47.7 percent from the field and 31.9 percent from beyond the arc.
He’s a much better offensive player than Green, but the Warriors would also need time to establish chemistry with him this season.
There’s no guarantee that the Raptors move on from Siakam, especially since he’s under contract for another season, but the team could look to jump-start a rebuild after a slow start to the 2022-23 season.
Adding some of the Warriors’ young talent could be a way to do that, but it seems like this trade is more of a suggestion than an actual proposal at the moment.
Green has been such an important part of Golden State’s success, so it’s hard to see the team trading him unless it gets a perfect deal.
