Shams: Siakam wants a max, wants to stay in Toronto

[johanliebert]

I don’t have an issue with it. I think he’s going to be very good, and at least he’s a two way player. Maxing out a guy who just really scores points (Demar, Kyrie) is more of a tough decision.

they have proven they can carry a top 5 offense in the NBA. Not many guys can create for themselves and others handing those two max deals made more sense.

pascal? hes never seen first option looks.

[BBallG]

I don't see the downside of waiting. If he really wants to stay in Toronto we can match any offer after a better assessment of him and the team at the end of the year.

If he doesn't want to risk catastrophe (IT injury) and losing 100+ mil then he should sign at a reasonable discount in the 25 mil range while his stock is the highest and set himself up for life now... that's what I would do cause a lot of things can change in a year...

[Basketball_Jones]

I don’t have an issue with it. I think he’s going to be very good, and at least he’s a two way player. Maxing out a guy who just really scores points (Demar, Kyrie) is more of a tough decision.

they have proven they can carry a top 5 offense in the NBA. Not many guys can create for themselves and others handing those two max deals made more sense.

pascal? hes never seen first option looks.

True Demar is a superstar but I think Siakam can be an all nba type of defender to make up for being much worse offensively then Demar.

[Jstock12]

If you're the #2 or even the #3 option on a Championship team, you are a MAX level player. There are some guys you 'wait and see' for, but Siakam isn't that guy. In the worst case scenario you'll end up with a two-way All-Star at the beginning of his prime (most likely) on a MAX contract.

[raptorstime]

Pay the brother

[d00lttle]

Khris Middleton is making $33M/year in 2020-21 and we won't lock down Siakim for $29M/year? Lock him up!

[Par36]

What's the downside in waiting?
If he wants to take a discount..pay him. If he wants the whole thing..earn it this year

[artsncrafts]

Well no point in offering him a contract until you have to if it is not a discount. If he plays like a superstar this year or hell even all-star I am sure he will get it.

[Rapsfan07]

I don't see the downside of waiting. If he really wants to stay in Toronto we can match any offer after a better assessment of him and the team at the end of the year.

If he doesn't want to risk catastrophe (IT injury) and losing 100+ mil then he should sign at a reasonable discount in the 25 mil range while his stock is the highest and set himself up for life now... that's what I would do cause a lot of things can change in a year...

Yeah I agree.

I love Pascal Siakam and this is coming from a guy who didn't think he'd be more than a skinny version of Amir Johnson not that long ago. But from a business perspective, he has to understand why it doesn't make sense for us to max him out right now. So many things can happen in a year. He could regress, he could get seriously injured, he could show that he's not a number 1 guy but more of a number 2 or 3. I don't know.

I want to pay Pascal. I hope he comes back next year and surpasses my highest expectations. But if we wants max money, he has to wait. If he's willing to take a discount, that's a whole other ball game.

[ThemCrookedRefs]

[Dalek]

I'd get the deal done if he is pushing it. Siakam has proven himself in the playoffs and this one game in particular just opened my eyes to his true potential:

Watch on YouTube

Even if he were to get hurt this year, you still want to sign a guy with his upside and skill.

I think I was too strict about the waiting until free agency. You don't want to get into a case where Toronto tries and fails to sign another free agent and then Siakam gets stolen away by another team.

[MadDogSHWA]

Its not unreasonable and in most years I would be all for it;
This isn't just about a "prove em" situation its about us being a unique cap situation next off-season;

We have something like 18m in committed salary as of July 1st 2020 against the backdrop of a 110m to 115m-ish salary cap;
Siakam's caphold is around 7m ish which potentially gives you a wack of cap space you can use first and foremost and then use the Siakams low caphold and bird rights to max him out and go beyond the cap afterward.

I am not advocating necessarily that we will or should spend 90m in free agency next summer but signing him today costs us flexibility next summer.

We don't need flexibility for next summer. We'll have plenty of that for the 2021 Free Agency Class and that's all that matters.

How do you preserve the capspace? What would your plan be?

[MadDogSHWA]

Whether anyone believes he is a max player or not is irrelevant. We are giving him the max.

For sure man.

The market determines this and all it takes is 1 team to think he's worth the max.

[Garrett]

I need to see how he performs without Kawhi spreading out the floor for him.

[Wo1verine]

Lets also not forget the injury risk - Lets wait.

How **** would it be if we signed him to the max and he had a career changing injury for example? I see absolutely zero reason not to wait.

[jimmy keys]

I need to see how he performs without Kawhi spreading out the floor for him.

Then what? If he underperforms you lowball him? Or when another team offers him the max you let him walk? Or when another team offers him the max you re-sign him and he comes back, but resentful. Or when another team offers him the max, you trade him for future picks/assets? What exactly is the plan? The guy is a top 2 option on a championship team. That's a max player. Whether you want to wait it out or not is irrelevant. Simmons, Murray, Booker, Russell already determined the market and yes Siakam is in that same class.

Unless you are looking to move him this season I can't think of any other reason to not max him out now. It's cheaper than it'll ever be. If he gets injured, he'll still get a max offer. If he proves he can only be the 2nd option on offence, he'll still get a max offer. If he signs an offer sheet, you get him for 3 years instead of 5. I'd offer him the 5 year max and insist on the 5th year personally.

[El Mas Chingon]

I don’t have an issue with it. I think he’s going to be very good, and at least he’s a two way player. Maxing out a guy who just really scores points (Demar, Kyrie) is more of a tough decision.

they have proven they can carry a top 5 offense in the NBA. Not many guys can create for themselves and others handing those two max deals made more sense.

pascal? hes never seen first option looks.

The guy's never even made an all star team and he's gonna get the max? I know you gotta keep him and pay him because otherwise the optics are bad. But if they pay him this year it messes up the cap space. If he wants to stay he can wait to sign the extension.

[Kinger95]

If 17-7 and 3 is worth the max then someone that puts up 12-5 and 2 probably worth 20 mill?

Like I Love siakam but Lets say his 3 ball percentage goes down slightly on higher usage(extremely common) and he loses some speed and agility(common as people get closer to 30. Paying him 34 million a year could turn out to be really bad if he stays the exact player as he is today and struggles when not playing in a 2nd/3rd role

[Red_Claw]

I don’t have an issue with it. I think he’s going to be very good, and at least he’s a two way player. Maxing out a guy who just really scores points (Demar, Kyrie) is more of a tough decision.

they have proven they can carry a top 5 offense in the NBA. Not many guys can create for themselves and others handing those two max deals made more sense.

pascal? hes never seen first option looks.

The guy's never even made an all star team and he's gonna get the max? I know you gotta keep him and pay him because otherwise the optics are bad. But if they pay him this year it messes up the cap space. If he wants to stay he can wait to sign the extension.

The NBA doesn't work that way. Players get paid based on potential, not what they've "so far" accomplished. Pascal's potential has no ceiling at this point so you pay him the max. End of story.

[Red_Claw]

"Fans" arguing against a 25 year old, super athletic, 2-way player, hard worker and humble man getting a max contract is a new low for this fan base.