Denver Nuggets Receive: F Pascal Siakam
Toronto Raptors Receive: F Michael Porter Jr., G Gary Harris, G R.J. Hampton, DEN 2021 1st Round Pick (Lottery-Protected)
While it may seem foolish for the Raptors to give up Siakam this season, this is definitely not a bad trade for the Raptors. Michael Porter Jr. is one of the better, younger wings in the league and has plenty of potential to grow into a fantastic two-way wing. Gary Harris is a solid “3-and-D” player and R.J. Hampton is another young talent that could grow into a very solid player on or off-the-ball.
With Jerami Grant’s departure in Denver this past offseason, Michael Porter Jr. was expected to take on a bigger role in this offense, but he missed a lot of time this season due to health and safety protocols. As a result, he has only played in 24 games, but has been really solid in those games, averaging about 14.4 points, 6.9 rebounds and shooting 40.3% from three-point range.
Standing about 6’10”, Michael Porter Jr. has as much potential in this league as any other young player and in a couple of seasons, could be one of the best wings in the entire league. Given his length and basketball IQ, MPJ could grow into a fantastic two-way player and a superstar in this league.
With this kind of potential, Toronto could set themselves up for a lot of success in the future, something they need to be considering since Lowry will be turning 35-years old this season and since they do not have much overall depth on their roster.
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For Denver, Nikola Jokic is a MVP candidate and Jamal Murray is growing into a superstar caliber player, but they are missing that third, consistent option. Porter Jr. is a work-in-progress and both Gary Harris and Will Barton are solid rotational guys, but this team needs that third All-Star caliber talent to make it back to the Western Conference Finals.
This is why Pascal Siakam could be a perfect trade target for them if they are willing to pay the price to get him. They would have to give up a lot of value in order to acquire him from Toronto since he is one of their best players.
With that said, let’s take a closer look as to why this trade could make sense for both the Toronto Raptors and the Denver Nuggets as both teams look to contend for championships now and in the future.
