OKC coveted Pascal Siakam in trade talks before resorting to Clipper’s package 1st round picks.
According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the Toronto Raptors were in on the push to acquire Paul George ’til the very end. In fact, he’s gone on the record as saying that it was The Raptors’ who ultimately rejected a trade package that would have net them George and Russell Westbrook packaged together in one those multilayered transactions where “so and so” takes on a % player’s contract in order to balance the books.
The non-negotiable for the Raptors’ was the inclusion Pascal Siakam in the prospective deal, and rightly so. Besides the since-departed Kawhi Leonard, Spicy P is the team’s greatest asset going forward. For fear losing out on their long-term prospects, the Raps pulled out, as did OKC given the lack tangible value going the other way (with or without Siakam included).
Ultimately, the Clippers were the ones to strike a deal with the Thunder, fering them a boatload 1st-round draft picks, promising youngster Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Danilo Gallinari in exchange for Paul George, with no side order coleslaw added to the bill – by all accounts: a far more enticing package. From a Raptors’ perspective, this a win/lose scenario. The outlook for the Raptor’s beyond next season is rather uncertain, despite them winning the 2019 ‘ship.