Pasacal Siakam, Toronto Raptors. (Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports)
The Toronto Raptors are expected to be without All-Star Pascal Siakam to start next season.
With Pascal Siakam having undergone shoulder surgery to repair a torn labrum in his left shoulder, the Toronto Raptors should expect their best player to miss at least the start of next NBA season.
Siakam is expected to be out for at least five months after having undergone surgery last week. He injured this shoulder on May 8 vs. the Memphis Grizzlies, resulting in him missing the last four games of the Raptors’ forgettable 2020-21 NBA season. With Siakam’s injury timeline suggesting an early November return, this likely means he will miss the first two weeks of next NBA season.
Toronto has to proceed with caution regarding the health of its most important player right now.
Toronto Raptors: Pascal Siakam to miss the start of the 2021-22 NBA season
Next season will be very different for the Raptors. Let’s hope Toronto can play games in Canada, as opposed to sharing an arena with the NHL‘s Tampa Bay Lightning. The other big thing to keep an eye on is if franchise cornerstone point guard Kyle Lowry will be back on a new contract. While he wants to retire as a member of the Raptors, he is in mid-30s, and that may not be up to him.
Frankly, the Raptors might be served to undergo a brief rebuilding process. Let Siakam recover from his torn labrum and see where next year takes them. If the Raptors stink again like they did this past season, it would not hurt them to be picking in the lottery portion of the first round in back-to-back years. They have built up equity with their fanbase by winning the 2019 NBA Finals, and their draft history is strong in recent years.
We may not see Siakam return to the Raptors’ starting lineup until a few weeks into next season.