With the Raptors working to retool for the future, Pascal Siakam has been at the center of a number of trade rumors this offseason.
Since the lead-up to the NBA Draft, Siakam has been linked to a few teams, most notably the Hawks, who appear to be intent on making a deal for the two-time All-Star. In addition to Atlanta, both Indiana and Orlando have reportedly inquired about Siakam's availability.
The noise surrounding Siakam certainly indicates that a move could happen, but there are a number of moving parts that would suggest that a deal may not necessarily be imminent.
As Toronto gauges Siakam's value on the trade market, executives Masai Ujiri and Bobby Webster will seek the best deal possible. With that in mind, there are a number of important dates to note with respect to some players that could be moved in exchange for Siakam.
The Sporting News explains how dates related to various contract stipulations impact a potential trade timeline for Siakam.
MORE: If a team trades for Pascal Siakam, what exactly are they getting?
Atlanta Hawks
It has been reported that Trae Young is the only untouchable member of the Hawks roster. Among players that might be involved in a potential deal, four players of note have dates worth being aware of: Kobe Bufkin, Patty Mills, Dejounte Murray and Bogdan Bogdanovic, who has a connection with fellow native Serbian Darko Rajakovic.
- Kobe Bufkin cannot be traded until Aug. 3, 2023, one month to the date of signing his rookie-scale contract
- Patty Mills cannot be traded with other players until Sept. 8, 2023, two months to the date of being acquired by Atlanta
- Bogdan Bogdanovic cannot be traded until Sept. 16, 2023, six months to the date of signing his contract extension
- Dejounte Murray cannot be traded until Jan. 9, 2023, six months after signing his contract extension
Indiana Pacers
The Pacers have joined in on the trade talks. While it's highly unlikely that they would part ways with No. 8 overall pick Jarace Walker, he is one of four players with a restriction. The others are Ben Sheppard, Obi Toppin and Bruce Brown Jr.
- Jarace Walker and Ben Sheppard cannot be traded until Aug. 1, 2023, one month to the date of signing his rookie-scale contract
- Obi Toppin cannot be traded with other players until Sept. 7, 2023, two months to the date of being acquired by Indiana
- Bruce Brown Jr. cannot be traded until Dec. 15, 2023, per NBA rules regarding recently signed players
MORE: Analyzing potential trade destinations for Pascal Siakam
Orlando Magic
The Magic have an opportunity to accelerate their rebuild with Siakam. They could part ways with some of their young talent to do so. No. 6 overall pick Anthony Black is as close to untouchable as can be, but No. 11 pick Jett Howard could become available.
The two rookies, Joe Ingles and Moritz Wagner, who likely does not move the needle much for the Raptors, are the Magic players with dates to be aware of.
- Anthony Black and Jett Howard cannot be traded until Aug. 1, 2023, one month to the date of signing their rookie-scale contracts
- Joe Ingles cannot be traded until Dec. 15, 2023, per NBA rules regarding recently signed players
- Moritz Wagner cannot be traded until Dec. 15, 2023, per NBA rules regarding recently re-signed players
