Raptors deal OG Anunoby to Knicks, kick off NBA trade season

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One chip off the board.

The news broke Saturday morning, first by ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, followed by Shams Charania from The Athletic. After two years of posturing and speculation, the Toronto Raptors finally traded defensive juggernaut OG Anunoby…just not to the Sacramento Kings.

Whether Anunoby was ever a real option for the Kings will likely never be known. What we do know is that the package of RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley and a second round pick is different from any offer that Kings general manager Monte McNair could have come up with. 

Different, not better. That is a distinction that should be made.

When two teams are trying to negotiate a trade, the motivation of each general manager has to be considered. The way the final trade is structured tells you that Masai Ujiri, the man making decisions in Toronto, was looking to reset his team’s timeline to match budding star Scottie Barnes. It does not appear that he is scrapping the whole thing and starting fresh.

Barnes, 22, can now be paired with Barrett, 23, and Quickley, 24, to form a new core in Toronto. If this was Ujiri’s motivation, the Kings had very little to offer the Raptors, outside of Keegan Murray, and according to league sources, he is not on the table. 

What Sacramento could have offered was one of Harrison Barnes or Kevin Huerter and draft compensation. The team has access to their 2026-30 first round selections, although the wording in any trade would be slightly complicated with the team’s 2024 first round pick tied up with lottery protections. McNair also has all of his second round picks from 2024-2029, plus an additional second in 2025.

Not to diminish Harrison Barnes (31) or Huerter (25), but a package built around Barrett and Quickley is more enticing if the idea is to reset the roster around Scottie Barnes, even if first round picks from Sacramento were involved.

This is part of the complicated world of trades in the NBA. It doesn’t just take two sides and a trade machine. Salaries have to be matched. Timelines matter. Not every team is looking for draft compensation. Not every team is looking for veteran players. 

Are the Raptors open for business?

Anunoby looked like a perfect fit player for Sacramento, but trade season is just starting. It also appears that Toronto is just getting started with their roster revamp, which should also intrigue the Kings’ front office.

If the Raptors are indeed breaking it up, Pascal Siakam could be the next to go. With the Raptors already adding some young pieces, Toronto’s asking price could shift for the two-time All-Star. 

Approaching his 30th birthday and in the final year of a contract that pays him $37.9 million this season, Siakam will take major matching salaries to obtain and then a Brinks truck worth of cash to extend. That means that the Kings would have to dig deep into their rotation to make a move, but they could also increase their ceiling as a club. 

There was a time when Siakam would have been a perfect fit next to Domantas Sabonis on the frontline. The 6-foot-8 power forward is having a down shooting year, hitting on just 24.8 percent from 3-point range, but he is a player you have to guard from long range.

Sacramento could use a player averaging 21.5 points, 6.6 rebounds and 5.2 assists per game. Still a frontline starter, Siakam would give the Kings a true second scoring option and take away some of the focus on Sabonis and De’Aaron Fox. He would also allow Murray more time to develop into the player he will become.

Siakam could also act as a scoring hub when Sabonis steps off the court. Over his last three seasons, the Cameroon-born big has averaged 5.3, 5.8 and 5.2 assists per game for the Raptors. His rebounding ability would add another dimension to the Kings’ attack. 

The cost might be prohibitive. The Kings might not have the assets to make it work with the Raptors, like they didn’t with Anunoby. But Siakam’s age, contract and future earnings are all part of the calculus of a trade.

A minimum offer would likely involve Barnes, Huerter and at least one first round selection. That might not be enough when compared to other offers the Raptors might receive. 

Huerter is young enough to fit the Raptors’ timeline. Barnes is a valuable veteran to either act as a guiding hand to a young squad or an asset to make another move. 

Should the Kings consider a move like this?

Adding an All-Star player comes at a cost and Siakam would be a major upgrade at a position of need for the Kings. His ability to score, pass and rebound would make the Kings a potential contender and the team would still have options to backfill the shooting guard position.

HIs age doesn’t fit the player arc of the current squad, but neither does Barnes. There is a risk involved with any move, but Siakam is a proven star with 53 games of playoff experience and an NBA Championship ring. 

A move like this would tie up the Kings’ salary long term, as long as Siakam signed an extension. You would be committed to a core of Fox, Sabonis, Siakam, Murray and Malik Monk, if he returns this summer in free agency. 

There would still be room for organic growth with Murray in just his second season and players like Chris Duarte, Keon Ellis and Colby Jones all getting more of an opportunity at the shooting guard position. 

The depth of the team would take a slight hit, but again, the ceiling of the club would take a major leap into potential title contender. 

Sacramento might not be willing to give away the draft capital to take on a 29-year-old player who wants nearly $200 million over the next 4-5 years. The Raptors might not want Huerter and Barnes or maybe they have a better offer. 

Saying all of that, if the two sides could find common ground, there is a way for both teams to move forward on their respective timelines with the Kings moving into a better position in the Western Conference and the Raptors resetting their squad without going in the tank.