Raptors, Siakam agree on 4-year max extension

Pascal Siakam is officially a major part of the Toronto Raptors’long-term plans.

The Raptors and contract to the Raptors Siakam have agreed on a through the 2023-24 four-year, $130 million season. maximum extension, a Siakam was even better person with knowledge of for the Raptors in the situation told The Associated the playoffs last spring, Press on Saturday, averaging 19 points and speaking on condition 7.1 rebounds in 24 of anonymity because games as Toronto went the signing has not on to win its first title. been publicly announced. During the offseason,

ESPN first reported Siakam said he still believes the agreement. his best basketball

Siakam was a is ahead of him. breakout player — and “I don’t feel no limits the league’s Most Improved at all,” Siakam said. Player — last season “I feel like it’s only the for the NBA champions, beginning for me and averaging career there is so much more highs of 16.9 points, 6.9 to come. I’m just excited rebounds and 3.1 assists. about the future He is entering his fourth and the possibility to season and now is under even get better and better from this, and knowing that it’s only been three years. I’m in the league for three years and there is so much more growth and things that I can improve on ... so I don’t think I’m going to stop now.”

Siakam’s rise has been meteoric. He grew up as a soccer player in his native Cameroon before being steered toward basketball — first getting noticed at a Basketball Without Borders camp in South Africa in 2012.

He made his way to college at New Mexico State, wound up as the Western Athletic Conference player of the year in his second season and eventually got drafted by the Raptors.

In 2017, Siakam was MVP of the G League Finals after helping Raptors

905 win that league’s title. And now he’s a max player, set to make $29 million in 2020-21 and just over $35 million in the fourth and final year of the new deal. - AP