The Atlanta Hawks are one of several teams who have tried to add star power in recent time, only to not be satisfied with their early returns. Last year it was the acquisition of Dejounte Murray. This summer, the Hawks could once again be looking to add a big name to their roster.
Like the Hawks, the Toronto Raptors fell short of expectations and could also shake up their core. They have several pieces that could be changing teams this offseason, with Fred VanVleet set for free agency and Pascal Siakam headed into the final year of his contract.
But there are teams who will come calling before either player can actually hit the open market. In Siakam’s case, the Hawks are already swarming.
According to Marc Stein, the Hawks have been one of the most active teams in trade discussions this summer, and John Collins has continued to be a big talking point. Meanwhile, other teams seem to be more intrigued with plucking DeAndre Hunter or Clint Capela off Atlanta’s hands.
Yet, there’s been no suggestion the Hawks are ready to part with Hunter or Capela and are instead trying to pluck Siakam away from Toronto without including the duo.
Siakam is set to earn $37.8 million this season and helped bring their lone championship to Toronto. But after making a coaching change from Nick Nurse to Darko Rajakovic, there’s no guarantee we’ll see an improvement in the win column from the first-year coach.
While the Hawks may have their eyes on Siakam, they’re not the only contenders looking to add the two-time All-NBA forward. The Sacramento Kings have also been linked to the 29-year-old All-Star this summer. D
espite strong interest, the Raptors don’t appear eager to part with one of their longtime cornerstones, and it doesn’t sound like he wants to leave anytime soon either, according to Chris Haynes, who reports he’d prefer to retire with the organization.
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