6 superstars Blazers need to take franchise-altering swing on this summer

5 of 6

Pascal Siakam, Toronto Raptors. (Photo by John Fisher/Getty Images) /

5. Pascal Siakam

The Trail Blazers were in the OG Anunoby business at this past season’s trade deadline, but perhaps with the increased sense of urgency, its time to up their game and shoot for the true prize in Toronto.

Siakam is perhaps the league’s most forgotten-about superstar. He’s rarely included on any top-10 lists – sometimes top-15 – but his resume speaks for itself:

Second-Team All-NBA in 2019-20, Third Team in 2021-22
Two-time All-Star
Three finishes inside the top-20 in the league in scoring average
Led the league in minutes per game in 2021-22 and 22-23
2018-19 Most Improved Player
2019 NBA Champion

Siakam is averaging a career-high 24.2 ppg to go along with nearly 8 rebounds and nearly 6 assists. He’s the offensive hub in Toronto, playmaking and shot-creating while keeping a 2:1 assist-to-turnover ratio.

The 29-year-old’s only deficiency, and the only thing holding him back from being a better option next to Dame than both Brown and Bridges, is his floor spacing – although that’s not as bad as some people might assume.

As the focal point of Toronto’s offense, Siakam’s shooting splits the past two seasons have been a combined 48.7/33.3/76.3, and he would be asked to fill a complimentary offensive role in Portland, much like he did when the Raptors won the 2019 NBA title with Kawhi Leonard.