Congratulations, everyone. Since putting out my mailbag call, I have received just one question expressing angst over the December 2023 trade of OG Anunoby. I expected more. Remarkable discipline, I’d say.While our favourite scarf enthusiast balls out in the NBA Finals, the Toronto Raptors are peering into the offseason. It’s coming sooner than you might think. The NBA Draft is within three weeks.As usual, you have supplied enough questions for me to break the mailbag into two parts. (I’ll get to the Anunoby query in the next mailbag.) Given that, feel free to submit more questions here.Enough stalling. Let’s get going.Questions have been edited for length and clarity.I‘m not so interested in relitigating the Pascal Siakam trade return, which seems awfully light in retrospect. I’m just a big Siakam fan, and think he’s always been a bit underrated, maybe even by the Raptors themselves. Am I wrong to think someone like Siakam (in place of Brandon Ingram) would raise the ceiling of this team even further? And should I let the past go, and focus on who we have now? (Probably!) — Joshua B.This came from a much longer hypothetical question, which I am glad to answer. While it is fair to say the Raptors mishandled the Siakam situation, I don’t think there is an alternative universe in which keeping Siakam — even if he had been happy to stay — would have worked.Siakam is better than Brandon Ingram, and provides more overall value than Ingram and Ja’Kobe Walter, who was taken with one of the picks the Raptors got from Indiana, combined, at least when not considering Walter’s rookie-scale deal. But unless the Raptors got an excellent lead creator, probably a guard, Barnes and Siakam were a bit too similar offensively to make it work.You might remember Siakam struggling from 3 in Toronto. Well, he shot 38.8 percent in his first season and a half with the Pacers, which was when Tyrese Haliburton was healthy. This past year, with Haliburton out, he went down to 35.8 percent. Siakam brings much more to the table than just a shot, but that shooting is essential around Barnes, and he would not have had the clean reps to make things work with the Raptors, at least as they were constructed at the time of the trade.Ultimately, Siakam’s age didn’t mesh with Barnes’ window, while their skills were a little too similar. If they had given Siakam a maximum-level extension, the Raptors would be in just about the same situation as they are now, and it’s fair to wonder whether Barnes would have blossomed in the same way if Siakam had been in Toronto the whole time.Hi Eric. Would you agree that it is time to transition to a younger core around Barnes and Collin Murray-Boyles? It was a great year, but for me, the Cavs series laid bare the issues that need addressing. Keep up the great work. — Trevor B.I would agree, but I also think that’s way easier said than done. Jakob Poeltl, the oldest core player, is on something close to an unmovable deal. I wouldn’t be against moving Ingram, but I don’t think the value is there. After that, Immanuel Quickley is the oldest player the Raptors have committed to long-term. He’ll be 27 on opening night, and he is also on a deal most teams won’t want.If they can get slightly younger with a trade of any of those players or RJ Barrett, that would be great. But given Barnes should be entering his prime, I think you focus more on skill and fit rather than age, and hope Murray-Boyles can avoid the sophomore slump.