Raptors' Ujiri doesn't regret waiting on Siakam, OG deals

Toronto Raptors president Masai Ujiri said that he doesn't regret waiting to trade Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby.

"No, I don't," said Ujiri on Thursday, according to Sportsnet's Blake Murphy. "When I look at this, the caliber of players, and I look at the year before, guys got better. I think that team, in my opinion, deserved us to give them more than half a season of chance."

The Raptors made two significant trades this season involving the tandem. Toronto moved Siakam to the Indiana Pacers for a package including wing Bruce Brown, forward Jordan Nwora, guard Kira Lewis Jr., and three first-round picks, two of them in the 2024 draft.

In December, the Raptors traded Anunoby, along with Precious Achiuwa and Malachi Flynn, to the Knicks for Immanuel Quickley, RJ Barrett, and a 2024 second-round pick.

"It's a tough couple weeks for us here with the trades that we've made," said Ujiri, according to TSN's Josh Lewenberg. "We know what these players meant to our program. Incredible, incredible human beings, incredible character, incredible players."

Ujiri cited the risks of losing players in free agency and the trend of the team as reasons why the trades did not come sooner, according to Murphy. Siakam was on the last year of his contract, while Anunoby has a player option for next season.

Ujiri added that the organization did not like the offers that were on the table during the offseason.

"What was available (in the summer) was not what we wanted to do with the way we wanted to go with our team," said Ujiri, according to The Athletic's Eric Koreen.

Siakam and Anunoby were involved in trade rumors the past few seasons. The Raptors finished with a 41-41 record last season and missed out on the playoffs, while they went 12-19 this campaign before trading Anunoby.

When asked about the potential of more deals coming before the Feb. 8 trade deadline, Ujiri responded with "definitely," according to Lewenberg. "That's why we have created flexibility."

Ujiri also called for patience as the team undergoes the rebuild, according to Lewenberg.

"(I) am patient, maybe to a fault," Ujiri said. "I was patient with that team last year because I believed in them, I believed in those players and what they brought. But now we have to look to the future."

The Raptors take on the Chicago Bulls on Thursday.