The upcoming 2026-27 season is sure to heavily spotlight our star duo in town, Kawhi Leonard and Scottie Barnes. But I also think someone like Jakob Poeltl will garner a fair amount of attention, as Raptors fans will be watching closely to see if the big man is a lost cause or still shows signs of a turnaround. Last season, Poeltl largely looked like a walking red flag, thanks to a mix of age, injury concerns, and declining on-court performance. That situation fueled plenty of chatter in Raptors circles about potential ways to move off his hefty contract through various trade scenarios.
Just yesterday, I looked at the Memphis Grizzlies as a possible landing spot for the soon-to-be 31-year-old center. But right now, if I had to place a safe bet before the 2026-27 season kicks off, I’d say there’s still a pretty good chance Jakob Poeltl hangs on that starting center spot — despite Collin Murray-Boyles’ rookie breakout last year, which gave him a solid case to steal the job.
Whatever you want to say about Jakob, the fact remains: he’s still a key piece of this Raptors puzzle (much like other uncertain pieces such as Immanuel Quickley or RJ Barrett). It’s easy to suggest pulling the plug and think about moving on, but based on what Bobby Webster hinted at during his media scrum earlier today — it seems the Raptors GM still has faith in the veteran big.
Bobby Webster gives a positive update on Jakob Poeltl heading into Raptors 2026-27 season
Webster was asked about the team’s health heading into training camp next week, and specifically, Poeltl’s name was mentioned in focus after his widely-known back issues stemming from last year. Webster replied (YouTube stream link here): “Yeah, I mean Jak looks good. You know, obviously time will tell as far as we ramp up to training camp, but you'll see he's in good spirits, good shape. I think like anybody can appreciate, I think going home is good for anyone and I think he's coming back with the motivation and willingness to keep his body as healthy as he possibly can.”
Jakob Poeltl played just 46 games last season, averaging 10.7 points, 7.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 0.9 steals, and 0.7 blocks in about 25 minutes per game. On the surface, those numbers aren’t exactly terrible. But when you compare them to his standout 2024-25 campaign, a year where he hit career highs with 14.5 points, 9.6 rebounds, 1.2 steals, and nearly 30 minutes per game (29.6) — the difference is stark. He also posted 2.8 assists and 1.2 blocks in that season.
More often than not last year, Jakob looked like a version of himself that didn’t quite inspire full confidence from Raptors fans to see him take on a significant nightly role, especially in the playoffs. Now, I don’t know if I can confidently say I’m a firm believer that Poeltl will turn things around drastically, but I’ll give him a bit of grace. Considering the injury-riddled, adversity-filled year he just had, maybe it was just an unfortunate outlier?
But the first step for a Poeltl bounce-back is definitely his availability going forward. Getting back on a healthy, full-strength track is the best way for him to return to being a serviceable player, just like we saw in the 2024-25 and 2023-24 seasons. Even if he’s not an impact player averaging 30+ minutes each night, as long as we see him on the floor for 50, 55, or even more games (playing around 20 to 25 minutes and holding his own in that role), I think whether you want to keep him or explore a trade, the Raptors will be in a good spot.
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