Pascal Siakam is going to be the face of the Toronto Raptors going forward.
This was expected. Toronto was never going to let its young star slip away; the only questions were when it a contract extension got done and the price.
The answers came Saturday, with the Raptors and Siakam’s agents reaching terms on what will be a four-year, $129.9 million max extension for the reigning Most Improved Player. Adrian Wojnarowski and Zach Lowe of ESPN broke the news.
Toronto Raptors forward Pascal Siakam has agreed to a four-year, max contract extension, agents @TRamasar and @choufani_lsme tells Zach Lowe and me.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) October 19, 2019
Here is the Pascal Siakam max extension based on a $116M cap in 2020-21:
— Bobby Marks (@BobbyMarks42) October 19, 2019
20/21- $29M
21/22- $31.32M
22/23- $33.64M
23/24- $35.96M
Total of $129.9M
There are no player or team options, this is a straight four years.
Last season, his third in the league, Siakam made a huge leap. He averaged 16.9 points and 6.9 rebounds a game, shot 36.9 percent from three, took on a larger role as a shot creator, played impressive wing defense, and was a key part of the Raptors winning the first title in franchise history. He is at the heart of their future and a guy the Raptors wanted to keep through whatever rebuilding/retooling process comes in the next few years.
The Raptors could have played it out, and let Siakam go to restricted free agency next summer. However, in what will be a down free agent market, some team would have tried to poach the young wing — a real position of need around the league — with a max offer. The Raptors would have matched, but all that drama might have created bad blood. Maybe the Raptors overpaid a little, but they get to keep their guy and have him happy.
Siakam is the third player to get a max extension to their rookie contract this summer. Both Ben Simmons (Philadelphia) and Jamal Murray (Denver) signed five-year, $170 million max extensions. Siakam decided to take one year fewer, but also hits free agency again a little earlier.