The Atlanta Hawks would have plenty to offer the Raptors for Pascal Siakam

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A day after we looked at the Indiana Pacers as a trade destination should the Toronto Raptors move Pascal Siakam, it’s time to analyze what the Atlanta Hawks could offer.

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Atlanta has been the team most closely linked to Siakam, the 29-year-old, two-time all-NBA forward, originally trying to pry him loose at the trade deadline in February.

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It makes sense, since Siakam is one of the top 20 or so players in the league and solid at both ends of the floor. Atlanta doesn’t have enough top-end talent to challenge the best teams in the conference, but believes it is a move or two away.

Behind Trae Young, the Hawks surprisingly made the East final in 2020-21, falling to eventual-champion Milwaukee, and have since added all-star guard Dejuonte Murray and some young talent, but have dealt away key supporting pieces John Collins and Kevin Huerter for sparse returns.

The team finished seventh in offensive efficiency this season and, with Siakam joining Young and Murray, Atlanta would boast one of the better “Big 3s” in the East.

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The path to acquiring him isn’t all that complicated, though any scenarios involving Murray going to Toronto are now off the table due to Murray’s newly signed contract.

Assuming Toronto would not want veteran centre Clint Capela (because Jakob Poeltl, Precious Achiuwa and Christian Koloko are all vying for centre minutes with Chris Boucher also spending a bit of time there on occasion) any deal would have to start with De’Andre Hunter, the No. 4 pick of the 2019 draft, to make the financials work.

Hunter is owed just over $20 million in 2023-24 and $90-million guaranteed over the next four years. Hunter is talented, this corner covered him leading Virginia to the 2019 NCAA title and he looked like a can’t-miss star at the time. The small forward (who also plays some power forward) is coming off a career-best 15.4 points per game and shot 38% from three just a year ago, but he also has only played as many as 67 games in a season once (this past season) and always seems to leave you wanting a little more.

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Bogdan Bogdanovic, 30, who is on an expiring contract and is a friend of new Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic, a fellow Serbian could also handily help match Siakam’s $37.8-million contract.

Neither would be the prize for the Raptors in any deal, though. Toronto would surely be looking for some combination of rookie Kobe Bufkin, second-year forward AJ Griffin, third-year forward Jalen Johnson and first-round picks.

We’re assuming that centre Onyeka Okongwu, the No. 6 pick in 2020, isn’t on the table. If Okongwu is made available, the Raptors should take him and run, then figure out their centre logjam later.

Bufkin, nabbed with the 15th pick out of Michigan, probably would have been a Raptor had Gradey Dick not been available at 13. Toronto is extremely high on the guard, who can’t be dealt until Aug. 2 because he just signed his rookie contract.

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Griffin, the son of former Raptors lead assistant coach (and new Milwaukee Bucks head coach) Adrian Griffin, is a sweet-shooting forward who doesn’t even turn 20 until August. The only reason he fell to 16 in 2022 was because of his injury history which saw him miss most of two years in high school. Griffin played in 72 games as a rookie though and didn’t miss a game in his lone season at Duke, a Final Four team. Griffin shot 45% from the shorter NCAA three-point line and is already one of the best free throw shooters in the NBA.

Meanwhile, Johnson, only 21, the 20th pick in 2020, hasn’t shown a ton yet, but fits the Raptors’s “type” (6-foot-9, 7-foot wingspan with immense athleticism) with some guard skills (he can create and bring the ball up the floor on the break). He is very limited right now as a shooter and scorer, but definitely has upside (there’s some Dalano Banton to him, but with a lot more athleticism).

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Atlanta could also trade a 2024 first-round pick (either its own, or from Sacramento), but gave away a bundle of picks to acquire Murray and couldn’t trade a second first until 2029.

There’s also the question of money, ownership has instructed management to avoid the luxury tax a number of times in the past. Even with the salary cap going way up, Young, Murray and Siakam (assuming he agrees to stick around and sign a new contract) would combine to make north of $110 million a season between them alone long-term.

With Atlanta having already surrendered first-rounders and pick-swap rights to San Antonio for Murray, and then presumably sending out some of its cheapest contracts should a deal come to pass with Toronto, it would be hard to build a strong supporting cast around the triumvirate.

Obviously any deal between the Hawks and Raptors would be significantly impacted by Siakam’s desire (or reluctance) to commit to Atlanta long-term.

A rental Siakam, who can leave via free agency next summer, is worth quite a bit less than a Siakam who wants to team up with Young and Murray and build something in Georgia.

@WolstatSun

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