We’ve already heard that the OKC Thunder had offered the Toronto Raptors some sort of deal that included Russell Westbrook and Paul George for Pascal Siakam. We also know that the Raptors rejected said deal. But we didn’t really know much more than that.
Thankfully, we finally have some details, and it pretty much sums up exactly why the Raps opted against the possibility of acquiring two elite talents like PG13 and Russ.
According to the Toronto Star’s Bruce Arthur, the Thunder were asking the Raptors for a package that included Siakam, Fred VanVleet, and four unprotected first-round draft picks. And to top it all off, acquiring George in this deal still wouldn’t have guaranteed the Raptors get Kawhi Leonard. So you can understand why Raps president Masai Ujiri was unwilling to mortgage the team’s future for Paul George without any assurance from Kawhi.
From the sound of it, while many Raptors fans had gotten their hopes up after their championship run, the chances of Toronto keeping Kawhi Leonard were pretty slim from the start.
