The only one to take in the game was Chris Boucher, leaving a whole row of reserved seats otherwise untouched. It was awkward since franchise minority shareholder Larry Tanenbaum, 78, and advisor to the president Wayne Embry, 86, made the effort to be at the game, sitting courtside along with the team’s front office.
The early start didn’t seem to be an issue for Cleveland, which had Evan Mobley, Darius Garland, Georges Niang and others courtside.
For the Raptors, the most notable absence all weekend has been Pascal Siakam, the Raptors All-Star forward who has been featured in trade rumours for the past few weeks.
No one wants to go on the record as to why Siakam has stayed away, but it seems reasonable to guess that since the Raptors have yet to discuss a contract extension, and instead Siakam has been prominently featured in trade talks, he isn’t all that keen to be on-site in Vegas. After all, it would be awkward cheering on Raptors' prospects only to learn he’s being dealt the next day, or whatever.
Siakam is coming off a season in which he averaged 24.2 points, 7.8 rebounds and 5.8 assists, and the 29-year-old Siakam is eligible for as much as $192 million over four years on a deal that would kick in for the 2024-25 season.
As for if, when or where Siakam might be traded?
Per league sources, the Raptors are still listening, trying to gauge the market value for their leading scorer and leading returning – in theory – playmaker. Atlanta remains a possibility and Indiana has also reached out.
The Raptors don’t intend to drag the process out for weeks or months, but they don’t seem ready to close the door on a Siakam trade just yet. Meanwhile, they still remain committed to avoiding a total rebuild – in other words, nothing they do or don’t do with Siakam will make them any more inclined to trade O.G. Anunoby, the 25-year-old all-NBA defender who also has one year left on his deal. Teams are welcome to call about Anunoby, but don’t expect a call back, that's the message.
https://www.sportsnet.ca/nba/article/separation-between-raptors-siakam-widening-as-prospects-start-slow-at-summer-league/