Toronto Raptors President Masai Ujiri is usually stoic and cold as ice.
But his decision to trade Pascal Siakam to the Indiana Pacers made him burst into tears, displaying an emotional and different side to Ujiri.
“You think that’s easy for me? It’s not easy, it’s not easy,” Ujiri said at a Jan. 18. media conference just a day after trading his star player.
“Honestly, the human part of this business is tough. My wife and my kids see me suffer,” he said.
The golden era of the Toronto Raptors came to an end on Jan. 17 with the trade of Pascal Siakam, the face of the franchise and the last key player of the 2019 championship team.
The Cameroonian had spent seven and a half seasons in Toronto after being selected with the 27th overall pick in the 2016 NBA Entry Draft.
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The Raptors obtained 2023 NBA champion Bruce Brown, Jordan Nwora and three first-round draft picks in return from Indiana.
They also obtained Kira Lewis Jr. from New Orleans to round out the three-team trade.
“The other day my agent told me, ‘Hi Pascal, what other team do you see yourself playing for?'” Siakam said.
“I couldn’t imagine playing for any other team than the Raptors,” he said. “I didn’t even think about it. I felt a Raptor forever.”
The trade marked yet another key change for the Raptors in player and coaching personnel.
They hired Darko Rajakovic as a new head coach after firing Nick Nurse, they let Fred VanVleet go in free agency this summer and they traded OG Anunoby to the Knicks three weeks ago.
Pascal Siakam averaged 17.4 points, 6.5 rebounds and 3.6 assists and was a two-time all-star in his tenure with Toronto.
“I remember the times when people said ‘the Raptors can’t make playoffs’ or ‘they can’t win the championship,’” he said.
“We didn’t get respect from American media and to me personally that hurt because I was part of the community and I embraced everything meant to be a Raptor and all I wanted to do was win because I felt the city and the country deserved it,” Siakam said.
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Siakam also left his mark off the court in Toronto through his work in the community through his foundation, the PS43 Foundation.
But a new era in Toronto is dawning with 2022 Rookie of the Year Scottie Barnes as its leader, with other young players like RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley and Gradey Dick expected to be key pieces around Barnes.
Barnes said he is ready to become the new face of the franchise.
“I don’t feel pressure,” Barnes said in a postgame interview on Jan. 17. “We already knew that, we already discussed that and I was already out there. No pressure at all.”
Raptors fans will have the chance to properly send off Pascal Siakam on Feb. 14. when the Pacers come to town.