JUST NOW: Toronto Super Star want to Leave Because of…

Death, taxes, and Pascal Siakam trade rumors.

Several Raptors have been the subject of trade talks since last season, with potential ‘Spicy P’ trades arguably the hottest banter. That said, Toronto is not exactly scrambling to send him packing.

Team president Masai Ujiri recently shared his thoughts on the state of the Raptors. Essentially, he believes the team is young and that more time is needed for players to fully adjust to head coach Darko Rajaković’s system.

Ujiri re-iterated that Toronto’s ultimate goal is to win, but also went onto say things such as “We’ll see how it goes.” This next stretch of games will naturally play a large role in determining Siakam’s future as a Raptor, with the scales tipping further towards “trade him” with each passing day.

Toronto finished last season with a 41-41 record, and this year’s 9-11 record has showcased more of the same. Even if the Raptors wanted to keep Siakam, is there a world where it makes sense for a rebuilding team to lock up a veteran power forward (on the verge of 30) to what will likely be a max contract?

Regardless of what Toronto decides, the organization simply cannot afford to deal Siakam for a lackluster return. The Kawhi Leonard trade brought the city its first NBA championship and may be the best deal in team history, but the acquired assets in some of the subsequent trades have been tough to stomach.