A potential trade for Toronto Raptors forward Pascal Siakam could cost the Warriors an arm and a leg.
ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski joined “NBA Today” on Friday to discuss the trade market for Siakam, which reportedly includes Golden State, and explained that any team trading for the 29-year-old should be ready to give him to offer a maximum contract before becoming an unrestricted free agent after the 2023-24 NBA season.
“Pascal Siakam will have a lot of say in where he is traded because he will be a free agent this summer,” Wojnarowski said. “So if you trade for Pascal Siakam, you have to be ready to get the most out of him, you have to know he wants to be there and you have to have a package out there that makes sense for Toronto.”
“You have been engaged to Siakam for a few years. Since he was able to walk at the end of the season, they have not yet managed to do an extension together. I think the risk for the Warriors is, 'Okay, what?' “What do we want to do with our payroll? Are we ready to get the most out of Pascal Siakam? Because there are teams with cap space this summer who are ready to do that.”
Golden State, which currently has the highest payroll in NBA history, would certainly have some hurdles to overcome if it were to trade for Siakam and attempt to retain him long-term.
The Warriors are also reportedly not keen on the idea of trading budding young star Jonathan Kuminga, who would likely be the centerpiece of any package for Siakam.
“The Warriors are interested in Pascal… I think it's a difficult path because he's going to have a lot of influence on where he goes,” Wojnarowski added.
Golden State appears poised to make a move before the Feb. 8 trade deadline and reportedly has “everyone but Steph Curry” on the table. While the path to a Siakam trade may be difficult for the Warriors, they may have enough motivation to overcome any obstacles.
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