The Toronto Raptors rumors are flying all over the place now that the trade deadline is drawing closer, as some of the hypothetical trades that have been thrown out there have ranged from the realistic to the absurd. However, one center trade target that makes a ton of sense from a fit point of view would be San Antonio Spurs big Jakob Poeltl.
After being picked ninth overall in 2016 out of Utah in the same year Toronto added Pascal Siakam, Poeltl was sent to Texas in the trade that brought Kawhi Leonard to Canada and helped the franchise win their first championship. While he hasn’t seen a ton of postseason success, Poeltl has evolved into a dynamic two-way big.
The Austrian’s skillset is exactly what the Raptors need at this point in time, as the lack of size and shot-blocking could be aided by reacquiring the 7-1 goliath in the middle. NBA insider Marc Stein believes that Masai Ujiri might strongly consider bringing Poeltl back to Canada.
In his Substack column (subscription required), Stein mentions that the Raptors have a degree of interest in trading for Poeltl. Stein did qualify that statement by mentioning that Toronto might be put off from making a deal due to how close they are to the luxury tax threshold.
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— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) January 14, 2022
Toronto Raptors rumors: Jakob Poeltl might return to Toronto.
Poeltl is averaging 12.4 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks per game this season. On top of evolving his offensive game and becoming a consistent scorer for San Antonio, Poeltl has become an elite defensive center that is capable of securing the rim and handling more athletic post players with ease.
The Raptors might need to fiddle with their rotation and starting lineup if Poeltl returns, but he would provide a major shot in the arm as a glass-cleaner and shot-blocker, two things Toronto needs at the moment. Poeltl is in the second year of a three-year, $26.2 million deal that will allow him to become a free agent after 2022-23.
Jakob Poeltl holding down the backline while all the Raptors long-armed, quick defenders create havoc on the perimeter is kind of a scary thought. Very, very easily tradable deal for Poeltl too. Have to imagine the Spurs would need a pretty good return though.
— Keith Smith (@KeithSmithNBA) January 14, 2022
While Toronto could go for a big-name rim protector like Myles Turner, Poeltl would make a lot more sense. He’s cheaper, a solid interior finisher, and already has a degree of familiarity with how Toronto operates on and off the court.
Names like Chris Boucher could be on their way back to San Antonio. Perhaps this is a way to offload Goran Dragic’s contract?
If the Raptors can find a way to get further away from the luxury tax, they might be closer to reuniting Poeltl and Siakam in Toronto.