"What noise?": Siakam unfazed by Raptors' trade deadline rumours

While the Toronto Raptors fanbase waits in limbo to see exactly what their front office will do at this week’s trade deadline, at least one player seems unfazed: star forward Pascal Siakam.

Siakam, now in his seventh NBA season in Toronto, has seen it all in his career that’s been filled with accolades, ups, downs, and a blockbuster trade or two amongst his teammates.

A report surfaced yesterday from HoopsHype’s Michael Scott that the Brooklyn Nets were inquiring about Siakam’s services, just a day after the team had traded Kyrie Irving to the Dallas Mavericks.

Story: The Nets have expressed interest in Raptors forward Pascal Siakam, as @TheSteinLine first reported. Toronto covets Nic Claxton in trade talks, while Ben Simmons and draft pick compensation have also been discussed, league sources told @hoopshype. https://t.co/DEsvyUKWIL

— Michael Scotto (@MikeAScotto) February 7, 2023

But it seems unlikely Toronto would trade their leading scorer in the midst of a career year, as he’s averaging 24.7 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 6.2 assists in 45 games this season.

And when asked about the “noise” surrounding the Raptors, the 28-year-old insisted he hadn’t seen any of the many rumours.

“What noise?” Siakam joked. “At the end of the day, we know what it is. What’s the point of talking here every fuc- sorry, every deadline? Like, we know [rumours] are going to happen, it is what it is.”

“What’s the point of us coming here talking every f***ing deadline… whatever happens, happens.”

– Pascal Siakam on trade rumours leading up to the deadline. pic.twitter.com/sn882tqWJp

— Tim and Friends (@timandfriends) February 7, 2023

Whether it’s the Nets, Los Angeles Lakers, Orlando Magic, or seemingly half the league, just about everyone’s been eyeing the Raptors in some form or another.

But while he had a meeting today with Raptors president Masai Ujiri, per Sportsnet’s Michael Grange, Siakam is holding steady that he isn’t all too informed about the latest in what some fans call trade deadline “slop.”

Pascal Siakam's comments on the approaching trade deadline are ⬇️ "… I don't know what's going on."
However … a few minutes after Siakam spoke to media at practice, Raptors president Masai Ujiri motioned for Siakam to join him in an office adjacent to the practice floor. pic.twitter.com/vOUnesgj9Y

— Michael Grange (@michaelgrange) February 7, 2023

“I don’t know anything about it. I literally don’t,” Siakam added, saying that it’s not really a point of discussion amongst his teammates. “I haven’t really talked to anybody. If somebody comes to me, I’ll talk to them.”

“I’ve just learned to not worry about things that I can’t control. That made my life a lot better,” Siakam said.

So what is Siakam focusing his energy on? Well, trying to find ways to help the 25-30 Raptors, who sit 11th in the Eastern Conference but are tied on record with Indiana for the final play-in spot.

“I’m just going to be working on my spots,” Siakam said. “Finding ways to continue to be effective; work through things and just understanding also my spots, and what I can do better to impact the game.”

The Raptors play their first home game since January 22 tomorrow, when they take on the San Antonio Spurs.

But all eyes are on Thursday’s deadline, set for 3 pm. Tick, tock.

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