Predicting where OG Anunoby, Pascal Siakam and Zach LaVine might get traded by February
The Raptors and Bulls could be sellers at the trade deadline. Here is where OG Anunoby, Pascal Siakam, and Zach LaVine might end up.
The Chicago Bulls and Toronto Raptors are the perfect example of what it's like to have good players but not be a good team. Both teams have had players that have made the All-Star team in the last three seasons and have All-Star caliber players but remain at the bottom of the Eastern Conference.
Usually, those types of teams are active near the trade deadline, which is fully expected from the Raptors and Bulls. The main players from both of those teams that every other team would want are OG Anunoby, Pascal Siakam, and Zach LaVine.
Pascal Siakam made his second All-Star appearance last season and Zach LaVine made his last All-Star appearance in 2022 but has been a 25 point per game scorer over the last five seasons. OG Anunoby is one of the best 3-and-D forwards in the NBA.
All these players will be sought out by playoff teams and contenders. Here is the likeliest landing spot for each.
OG Anunoby: Indiana Pacers
The Indiana Pacers have been one of the most exciting teams to watch in the NBA. Not only do they have the best offense in the NBA but, they have, statistically, the most efficient offense in NBA history, which is why they are the fifth seed in the East and made the In-Season Tournament Finals.
They're a young team with their eyes on a deep playoff run but they do have major flaws. The first, and most obvious, is that they don't play defense. They give up an average of 125.5 points per game, the second-worst in the league, and have the third-worst defense rating. The second flaw is that there is no co-star next to Tyrese Haliburton.
The Pacers desperately need someone who has All-Star potential and plays defense which is what OG Anunoby is. The Raptors have expressed that they would need a lot to trade him and luckily the Pacers can make it work. A trade would likely have to be Buddy Hield, either Bennedict Mathurin or Jarace Walker, and as many as three first-round picks for Anunoby, with other pieces to match contracts.
Raptors have said they want a "young talented player" which they would get in either Walker and Mathurin. The Pacers would get one of the best 3-and-D forwards in the game. Offensively, Anunoby would fit right in because he's such a strong spot-up shooter who can also play defense.
Depending on the matchup, the Pacers are probably going to be a first round exit in this year’s playoffs as they are currently constructed. A trade for Anunoby wouldn't put them over the top, but it would make them much better than what they are right now.