It’s been a tough season for the Toronto Raptors. They stumbled out of the gate and quickly saw their season slip away.
Toronto then made a franchise-altering move when they sent O.G. Anunoby to the New York Knicks in a five-player trade.
Raptors got back young talents in Immanuel Quickley and RJ Barrett who have already made an impact on the team.
The new-look Raptors have looked a lot better to start 2024, however there is still going to be a lot of growing pain.
This was illustrated during the Raptors recent west coast trip where they team took on some good teams and finished 2-4.
As much as Raptors fans want good things to happen now, it’s not about this season. It’s about building towards future success in Toronto.
Per Josh Lewenberg, Darko Rajakovic talked about process vs. results for the Raptors this season:
“It’s hard because all of us are so competitive and we want to win…but at the same time we’ve got to know what our priorities are and that’s understanding the big picture and the transition we’re going through, how we’re going to continue to build.”
Rajakovic’s comment confirmed that the Raptors are going to take things slowly and have entered a developmental phase. While the Raptors aren’t in a full rebuild, they are retooling with young players.
The Raptors traded Anunoby for two young players and now the belief is the they will try and do the same with Pascal Siakam.
Siakam is set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer. It has been reported that the Raptors and Siakam are on the verge of parting ways.
Why it’s time for the Raptors to trade Siakam
Siakam is turning 30-years-old this year and he will want a max deal. Paying Siakam that when the Raptors won’t contend with him doesn’t make sense. It’s about picking a direction, acquiring young assets and playing the long-term game.
The Raptors solidified their direction of going in a youth movement when trading away Anunoby.
Now the Raptors must do the same with Siakam and officially usher in a new era in Toronto.
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