The Washington Wizards started the 2021 offseason with the blockbuster trade that sent Russell Westbrook to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for Kyle Kuzma, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Montrezl Harrell, and a first-rounder. However, despite losing their second-best player last season, the Wizards made it clear to everyone in the league that they have no intention of trading All-Star shooting guard Bradley Beal and undergoing a full-scale rebuild.
Instead of taking a different route, the Wizards are expected to try improving their roster around Beal this offseason.
Pascal Siakam A Trade Possibility For Wizards
One of the potential trade targets for the Wizards this summer is veteran small forward Pascal Siakam of the Toronto Raptors. On Twitter, NBA insider Brett Siegel of NBA Analysis Network revealed that the Wizards would strongly consider trading for Siakam if the Raptors make him available on the trade market this offseason.
"One source has mentioned the Washington Wizards as a potential destination for Pascal Siakam if the Toronto Raptors look to trade him after drafting Scottie Barnes last night," Siegel wrote. "They have Kuzma, Hachimura, Harrell and Bryant all as possible assets to trade."
Will The Raptors Consider Moving Pascal Siakam?
Siakam was initially viewed as the player that would lead the Raptors back to title contention in the post-Kawhi Leonard era. Unfortunately, in the past two seasons, he has failed to live up to expectations as the team’s main man. The Raptors may not be actively trading Siakam right now, but some people perceived their recent move as a sign that the veteran small forward’s days in Toronto are already numbered.
In his Substack newsletter, Marc Stein of New York Times revealed that rival teams believe that the Raptors would trade Siakam after they selected Scottie Barnes in the 2021 NBA Draft.
Is Pascal Siakam Worth Giving Up Rui Hachimura?
Trading a young player with huge superstar potential like Hachimura would be a tough decision for the Wizards, but it’s the type of sacrifice that they should be willing to make if they want to change their fate in the 2021-22 NBA season. Siakam may have failed as the team’s main guy, but the time he spent with Leonard in Toronto proved that he could be an efficient second- or third-scoring option on a title-contending team.
His potential arrival in Washington would boost their performance on both ends of the floor. He would give them a very reliable scorer next to Beal, as well as a great rebounder, on-court facilitator, lockdown defender, and floor-spacer. Last season, he averaged 21.4 points, 7.2 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 1.1 steals while shooting 45.5 percent from the field and 29.7 percent from beyond the arc, per ESPN.
Raptors Could Get Enough Assets To Rebuild
The trade package that includes Hachimura, Kyle Kuzma, Montrezl Harrell, and Thomas Bryant would be an intriguing return for Siakam, especially if the Raptors decided not to re-sign Kyle Lowry and undergo a rebuilding process this summer. Hachimura, Kuzma, and Bryant are all young enough to be part of the Raptors’ long-term plan.
Hachimura, Kuzma, and Bryant could join forces with Fred VanVleet, OG Anunoby, and Barnes and form the core of the next title-contending team that the Raptors would try to build in the North.
