Grade the Trade: Warriors flip Poole for Pascal Siakam in latest idea

What would a Poole – Siakam trade look like?

Pascal Siakam is a two-time All-NBA performer for the Raptors, and he has been one of their core players for the past half-decade, going from perennial playoff underachiever to NBA champions to struggling Play-In team. It will be hard for Toronto and its fans to say goodbye, but it might be necessary to build a young roster that fits together.

That means pursuing perimeter help and shooting, which lends itself to a potential deal with the Warriors for Jordan Poole. For all of the hand-wringing about Poole’s down season, he was still able to generate 7.8 3-point attempts per game, often on difficult pull-up attempts. He can create shots and stretch defenses beyond the arc, something the Raptors need, especially if Fred VanVleet walks in free agency.

Let’s build the deal, then, with Siakam and Poole as the principles. Siakam makes $37.8 million next season, so the Warriors need to add at least $5.9 million into the trade to make it work. Luckily for them, they have another trade asset making $6 million, and a couple of first-round picks could get this deal done:

The Raptors get to bet on the future development of Jonathan Kuminga, a player who fits their vision of athletic forwards. The Warriors can trade this year’s first-round pick starting on draft night, which is a logical time for this deal to come together. If Toronto accepts they need to take a slight step back to build around a younger group, this could be a viable way to do it.