LAS VEGAS—Not four steps in the door at the Cox Pavilion for another Summer League game and an NBA scout I’ve been dealing with for almost 30 years calls me over to chat about Pascal Siakam.“Hey, young fella,” he says. “Where they trading him?”Walk the length of the court to find a baseline seat with easy access to more NBA talent evaluators and front office personnel and another old friend gestures.“When are you leaving,” he asks.“Tuesday night, about 10:30.”“So the trade goes down at 11?”The Raptors may have an aversion to drama — they very much like going quietly about their business and are part-bemused, part-tired of being talked about so much — but they are among the most talked about franchises today.It’s not Dame Lillard to Miami or bust; it’s not getting James Harden out of Philly purgatory. It’s Siakam and his future with the Raptors that’s causing a bit of a stir.The thing is, at the moment there is far more smoke than fire.After five days in Las Vegas, running into team officials of every level, one thing is apparent: There really is no “latest” to the Siakam situation that has percolating for weeks.The Raptors will move him if they get a good offer. They haven’t.Siakam has not been there yet but neither has Gary Trent Jr. It’s not as if all vets show up to hold hands around a campfire and sing songs with their new, younger teammates. They stop by for a couple of days, say hello, work out, maybe catch a game or have dinner and hang out. Teams would love to have every one of importance there every day. That never happens.Scottie Barnes was in and out, so was Malachi Flynn. O.G. Anunoby hung around for a good long while, as did Chris Boucher and Christian Koloko. Jalen McDaniels and Dennis Schröder stopped by. So did Jakob Poeltl.Siakam hadn’t been there when I left. Neither had Trent.A big deal? No. A small deal? Probably not. But both don’t have contracts after next year so there’s no telling how they feel.But that’s minutia, according to a few people who chatted last weekend.The Siakam Saga has really not changed. He’d like to not be traded; the team is willing to move him in the right circumstances.If part of the reason they’re even considering a move is because the NBA’s extra punitive luxury tax — a hard cap that’s not called a hard cap — is scary with the future contracts of Anunoby and Barnes, there’s little chance they’d take on big, long-term money.If part of the reason for a move is to address a roster imbalance — they’re right back at six viable starters and too many non-shooting forwards — the specific need of back court ball-handling and depth would limit the teams they could talk to.What many of executives and scouts of other teams are most perplexed about is what the Raptors are going to do and when.They wonder if Masai Ujiri and Bobby Webster have a big master plan they want to put into place and there’s some mocking of the Raptors because it’s not apparent.Which, frankly, is what the Raptors want. They do things are their own pace and keep their thoughts to themselves. Sure, it leads to all kinds of speculation and there’s frustration among rival executives. It’s hard to imagine Ujiri and Webster caring about what others think or want.The prevailing attitude from a variety of sources is this: Siakam is in play. The Raptors are in no rush. Nor do they feel they must make a deal.Another long-time Raptors staffer departsThe Raptors have lost another long-time member of the support staff.Ray Chow, the massage therapist who has been with the team since its inception, has left and is off to work for the Atlanta Hawks, team sources said.He was particularly close to Siakam on this iteration of the roster.He and Scott McCullough, the former head athletic therapist with the team, are now gone from last season’s medical staff.The team also jettisoned travel co-ordinator Kevin DiPietro and Raptors 905 basketball operations manager Stefano Toniutti while long-time security chief John Altilia has retired.Bye bye, JoeNo one’s willing to say it out loud or on the record but there is about zero chance that the Raptors will guarantee Joe Wieskamp’s $1.9 million deal (U.S.) when the deadline arrives Monday.Going 1-for-7 from three-point range and 2-for-12 from the field overall in his first two games combined sealed the shooter’s fate.Mailbag calloutSubmissions are welcome until Saturday morning for Sunday’s mailbag.Send them along to askdoug@thestar.ca.Doug Smith is a sports reporter based in Toronto. Follow him on Twitter: @smithraps
LAS VEGAS—Not four steps in the door at the Cox Pavilion for another Summer League game and an NBA scout I’ve been dealing with for almost 30 years calls me over to chat about Pascal Siakam.
“Hey, young fella,” he says. “Where they trading him?”
Walk the length of the court to find a baseline seat with easy access to more NBA talent evaluators and front office personnel and another old friend gestures.
“When are you leaving,” he asks.
“Tuesday night, about 10:30.”
“So the trade goes down at 11?”
The Raptors may have an aversion to drama — they very much like going quietly about their business and are part-bemused, part-tired of being talked about so much — but they are among the most talked about franchises today.
It’s not Dame Lillard to Miami or bust; it’s not getting James Harden out of Philly purgatory. It’s Siakam and his future with the Raptors that’s causing a bit of a stir.
The thing is, at the moment there is far more smoke than fire.
After five days in Las Vegas, running into team officials of every level, one thing is apparent: There really is no “latest” to the Siakam situation that has percolating for weeks.
The Raptors will move him if they get a good offer. They haven’t.
Siakam has not been there yet but neither has Gary Trent Jr. It’s not as if all vets show up to hold hands around a campfire and sing songs with their new, younger teammates. They stop by for a couple of days, say hello, work out, maybe catch a game or have dinner and hang out.
Teams would love to have every one of importance there every day. That never happens.
Scottie Barnes was in and out, so was Malachi Flynn. O.G. Anunoby hung around for a good long while, as did Chris Boucher and Christian Koloko. Jalen McDaniels and Dennis Schröder stopped by. So did Jakob Poeltl.
Siakam hadn’t been there when I left. Neither had Trent.
A big deal? No. A small deal? Probably not. But both don’t have contracts after next year so there’s no telling how they feel.
But that’s minutia, according to a few people who chatted last weekend.
The Siakam Saga has really not changed. He’d like to not be traded; the team is willing to move him in the right circumstances.
If part of the reason they’re even considering a move is because the NBA’s extra punitive luxury tax — a hard cap that’s not called a hard cap — is scary with the future contracts of Anunoby and Barnes, there’s little chance they’d take on big, long-term money.
If part of the reason for a move is to address a roster imbalance — they’re right back at six viable starters and too many non-shooting forwards — the specific need of back court ball-handling and depth would limit the teams they could talk to.
What many of executives and scouts of other teams are most perplexed about is what the Raptors are going to do and when.
They wonder if Masai Ujiri and Bobby Webster have a big master plan they want to put into place and there’s some mocking of the Raptors because it’s not apparent.
Which, frankly, is what the Raptors want. They do things are their own pace and keep their thoughts to themselves.
Sure, it leads to all kinds of speculation and there’s frustration among rival executives. It’s hard to imagine Ujiri and Webster caring about what others think or want.
The prevailing attitude from a variety of sources is this: Siakam is in play. The Raptors are in no rush. Nor do they feel they must make a deal.
Another long-time Raptors staffer departs
The Raptors have lost another long-time member of the support staff.
Ray Chow, the massage therapist who has been with the team since its inception, has left and is off to work for the Atlanta Hawks, team sources said.
He was particularly close to Siakam on this iteration of the roster.
He and Scott McCullough, the former head athletic therapist with the team, are now gone from last season’s medical staff.
The team also jettisoned travel co-ordinator Kevin DiPietro and Raptors 905 basketball operations manager Stefano Toniutti while long-time security chief John Altilia has retired.
Bye bye, Joe
No one’s willing to say it out loud or on the record but there is about zero chance that the Raptors will guarantee Joe Wieskamp’s $1.9 million deal (U.S.) when the deadline arrives Monday.
Going 1-for-7 from three-point range and 2-for-12 from the field overall in his first two games combined sealed the shooter’s fate.
Mailbag callout
Submissions are welcome until Saturday morning for Sunday’s mailbag.
Send them along to askdoug@thestar.ca.
Doug Smith is a sports reporter based in Toronto. Follow him on Twitter: @smithraps
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