The Toronto Raptors and Pascal Siakam have agreed on a four-year max deal on Saturday. The forward has become a star for the Raptors after their run to the title last season. The contract will be in the ballpark of four-years, 130 million dollar extension. He was set to hit restricted free agency after this year. The Raptors didn’t want to potentially lose their star of the future. Siakam was set to make $2.4 million this season before the extension.
Pascal Siakam Receives the Four-Year Max Contract
The Cameroon born player played a pivotal role for the Raptors this past season. He was the NBA’s Most Improved Player for the 2018-2019 season. When Siakam was a first-round pick in the 2016 draft, he was seen as a rotational player. He averaged six points-per-game his first two seasons. Last season, Siakam averaged 16.9 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 3.1 assists per game when the Raptors went on to win the NBA Championship. Siakam had a big hand in bringing the Larry O’Brien Trophy to Canada. He put up 19 points per game while bringing in Seven rebounds per game.
After this past season, Kawhi Leonard went back home to Los Angeles. The Raptors will need the core pieces last year to produce if they want to defend their title. With Kyle Lowry, Marc Gasol, and Serge Ibaka taking 65% of the cap for this year, the Raptors are signing Siakam to be their superstar of the future. The players mentioned before are at the end of their respective careers. Siakam can continue to grow under these veterans before he takes over the reins.
Siakam and the Raptors had engaged in preliminary talks, according to Josh Lewenberg of TSN. Siakam’s camp was looking for a max contract. At the time, the two sides seemed far apart. The Raptors wanted to avoid any fallout and potentially lose their star. This will keep Siakam in Toronto through the 2023-24 season.
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