Report: Raptors have contacted Rockets about No. 4 pick

Toronto Raptors forward Pascal Siakam (43) gets separation from Houston Rockets guard Eric Gordon (10) to attempt a shot during the fourth quarter at Toyota Center.

The Houston Rockets didn’t land the top pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, but they’ve received several offers for their fourth overall selection, including one from an Eastern Conference team.

According to The Athletic’s Kelly Iko, the Toronto Raptors have approached the Rockets about trading for the pick.

“The Raptors have called,” Iko said on Saturday’s episode of The Athletic NBA Show. “There are teams that still believe that No. 4 is a pretty damn good pick, and there are teams that are going to want to acquire that pick.”

The Raptors haven’t achieved much since losing Kawhi Leonard following their title win in 2019. They finished second in the East the following season (53-19) but lost to the Celtics in the second round and have a 116-120 record since then.

Having missed the playoffs in two of the past three seasons and recently dismissing HC Nick Nurse, it appears Toronto could be ready to rebuild around forward Scottie Barnes.

Raptors vice chairman and team president Masai Ujiri has a variety of assets that Houston might find appealing, so it’ll be fascinating to see what his offer would entail.

Toronto’s most likely trade chip is forward Pascal Siakam, who just wrapped up a career year that included his second trip to the All-Star Game.

A possible — but unlikely — alternative the Raptors could offer would be to package their own first-round pick (13th overall) with versatile wing OG Anunoby.

Siakam will be an unrestricted free agent next summer, and Anunoby will likely become one as well, as he has a player option that he’ll surely decline.

The Rockets are reportedly eyeing a reunion with 2018 MVP Award winner James Harden, their franchise centerpiece for nine seasons. The 33-year-old guard is expected to opt out of his contract with the Philadelphia 76ers and become a free agent.

Per the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Keith Pompey, league executives anticipate Harden to sign with Houston, which has the most projected cap space this summer.

New Rockets HC Ime Udoka says he wants the franchise to “take the next step,” as the team has been rebuilding since trading Harden to Brooklyn in 2021.

By bringing in a duo of Harden and Siakam to lead Houston’s young core, the Rockets should be able to contend for a playoff spot next season.

Although the top three projected picks in the draft are far ahead of their peers, Toronto would still have intriguing options to choose from by moving up in the draft.

In Jonathan Givony of ESPN’s first post-lottery mock draft, he has Houston selecting Overtime Elite’s Amen Thompson with the fourth pick. The 6-foot-7 combo guard would be an excellent addition for the Raptors if they don’t re-sign Fred VanVleet.

Houston’s Jarace Walker may be another prospect Toronto considers should Siakam be included in a deal.

Houston won’t be the only team to make its first-round pick available for trade. Over the next month, expect plenty of buzz surrounding the teams that narrowly missed out on French phenom Victor Wembanyama.

The 2023 NBA Draft, hosted in Brooklyn, is scheduled for June 22.

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