With the reveal of this season’s All-NBA teams, the chance that the Toronto Raptors trade their top player this offseason increased exponentially.
Earning All-NBA honors on any of the three teams is a big deal for players. It signifies, at least for one season, that the athlete was among the 15 best players in the sport for the key positions on the court. However, more than the acknowledgment of elite status, attaining All-NBA honors has a major impact on a player’s contractual opportunities.
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Being on the All-NBA team means certain players become eligible for a super-max contract. That was the case for Boston Celtics superstars Jayson Tatum (first-team) and Jaylen Brown (second-team) on Wednesday as landing the honor made them super-max eligible this summer. However, that was not the situation for Toronto Raptors All-Star Pascal Siakam, even after a career year.
Siakam is now heading into the final year of his second contract and has yet to earn All-NBA honors during that time. It might be even harder in 2023-2024 when the All-NBA rules change and instead of competing against other forwards for two spots on each team, he will be competing against every star player next season.
Toronto Raptors record (’22-’23): 41-41
Big picture, it means Pascal Siakam is very unlikely to be eligible for a five-year, $290 million deal after next season, and at best could get one from just the Toronto Raptors for $40 million less. He could also avoid the risk of playing out the final year of his deal and get a four-year, $192 million pact from the Raptors this summer. Either way, it means he is unlikely to be one of the highest-paid players in the league in the near future.
Without the concern of paying him elite money, the Raptors could keep him at a cheaper rate, or if they truly want to start from scratch and rebuild a team that was highly disappointing in 2022-2023, they could trade him while his value is as high as possible after a fantastic season and future contract price decrease. With All-NBA likely an unattainable goal many more teams could jump into the chase on the trade market.
Pascal Siakam led the Toronto Raptors in minutes and points, and was second overall in rebounds and assists this season. He is a top-25 level scorer in the midst of his prime, and for a team like the Grizzlies, Heat, or Knicks he could be a fascinating option to take them over the top and be a serious title contender in 2023-2024.