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Only Trae Young is likely to be safe from Atlanta Hawks trade talks this offseason, Yahoo Sports’ Jake Fischer reported.
Any other Atlanta player could become part of deals for targets like Toronto Raptors forward Pascal Siakam, who Fischer reports is “believed to be on the Hawks’ radar.”
Siakam will likely come at a high price after finishing the best season of his career, during which he put up 24.2 points, 5.8 assists and 7.8 rebounds per game for the Raptors.
Adding scoring depth could be vital for the Hawks’ hopes of a deep playoff run in 2024. Despite a strong 2022-23 campaign from Young, who averaged a regular-season double-double of 26.2 points and 10.2 assists, the Hawks were bounced from the first round of the playoffs for the second consecutive season.
Fischer noted that the Hawks are not “actively shopping” Dejounte Murray, for whom they sent three first-round picks to the San Antonio Spurs last summer. The members of the Hawks roster are valued in tiers, “where Murray stands in his own realm after young,” sources told Fischer.
When the Hawks slotted in Murray alongside Young and John Collins in 2022-23, it looked like Atlanta finally had the superstar trio they’d been looking for to take the team on a postseason run.
Then Collins ran into a shooting slump last season, most of which he played with a protective wrap around one finger. He finished the year averaging just 13.1 points and a career-low 6.5 rebounds per game.
If the Hawks are looking for a shooter who could finally make them one of the NBA teams able to put out a superstar Big Three, Siakam could be their guy. He led the NBA in minutes per game for the second consecutive season and put up one of the best campaigns, numbers-wise, in the league (only Luka Dončić, LeBron James, and Nikola Jokić topped his points, rebounds, and assists spread of 24.2/7.8/5.8.)
The Raptors are “said to still be deliberating” over their options regarding Siakam, Fred VanVleet, O.G. Anunoby, and Gary Trent Jr., Fischer reported.
“One north star remains clear for the Raptors: The franchise views Scottie Barnes as the future engine of this offense under new head coach Darko Rajakovic, sources said,” Fischer wrote.
Siakam is signed on for one more season at $37.9 million before becoming an unrestricted free agent in 2024. That would rank him only behind Young ($40 million) as the most expensive player on Atlanta’s roster. That cost, and the likely high price of a trade with Toronto, could be worth it if the Hawks believe the Raptors forward is their key to becoming a real contender in 2024.
Atlanta has a range of options to offer for Siakam if any Hawks player is up for debate. The team has received the most inquiries regarding center Onyeka Okongwu and forward Saddiq Bey, Fischer reported.