The Toronto Raptors will pay Jakob Poeltl $84,084,000 between the 2027-28 and 2029-30 seasons. It's one of the truths that continues to haunt Toronto, no matter how much else seems to go right for them. Thankfully, evaluating the cap hit along the interior isn't quite as simple as looking at one player. Instead, Collin Murray-Boyles must also be factored in.
If Murray-Boyles continues to develop into one of the best young bigs in the NBA, then the Raptors can confidently look at the interior in terms of combined contracts rather than separate deals.
At this stage, it's common knowledge that the Raptors will enter contract hell with Poeltl in 2027-28. He'll average $28,028,000 per season between 2027-28 and 2029-30. He's only guaranteed $5 million for the final year, but that figure can reach just under $27.3 million based on incentives.
Those incentives are structured as Poeltl gaining $5 million in guaranteed money for the 2029-30 season each time he reaches 1,400 minutes played between 2026-27 and 2028-29, and adding $2,433,333 each time he meets said threshold and the Raptors make the playoffs during that time.
To put it simply: Paying an average of more than $28 million per year to a player who's already a questionable roster fit is rough. Yes, he's only reached 1,400 minutes in one of his past three seasons, but the best case scenario is still two years of a significant cap hit.
Thankfully, Murray-Boyles is the player who can at least offset the concerns during those first two seasons before his own potential contract extension kicks in during the 2029-30 campaign.
Raptors' combined big man money is easier to stomach than Poeltl's solo
Murray-Boyles will make $6,649,560 in 2026-27, $6,966,000 in 2027-28, and $8,874,684 in 2028-29. In other words: The Raptors are paying their top two bigs a combined $26,149,560 in 2026-27, $34,266,000 in 2027-28, and $38,358,684 in 2028-29.
2029-30 could be rough if Poeltl meets his incentives and Murray-Boyles gets a lucrative new deal, but the next three years aren't quite as disastrous as they seem given the context.
Toronto is still paying an exorbitant amount of money to a questionable fit at center, but if Murray-Boyles continues to excel, it won't be as much of a burden. For instance: 11 centers will make more on their own than Murray-Boyles and Poeltl will earn combined in 2026-27.
Nine will exceed their combined salaries in 2027-28 and five will do so in 2028-29. That may not quell all concerns, but it's still important context.
Raptors need Collin Murray-Boyles to thrive on his rookie-scale deal
The key here will be Murray-Boyles developing into a big who ranks in the top half of the players at his position. The good news is that he's well on his way to doing so, as he's already one of the most versatile young defenders and well-rounded up-and-coming talents in the NBA.
For instance: In 2025-26, Murray-Boyles ranked in the 95th percentile in overall screener defense, the 92nd percentile in rim protection, and the 83rd percentile in perimeter isolation defense, per Basketball Index.
Clearly, Murray-Boyles isn't a traditional center at 6'7" and 245 pounds with a 7'0.75" wingspan. In saying that, he played a great deal of positionless defense a season ago in lineups where Sandro Mamukelashvili, another player who isn't exactly a traditional center, was working next to him.
With Scottie Barnes and Kawhi Leonard helping to anchor the defense alongside him, Murray-Boyles proving capable of playing a Draymond Green type of role could offset many of Poeltl's flaws.
Even if Murray-Boyles develops into a 4, his success can still soften the blow of the Poeltl deal. Yes, Toronto would still need to find an upgrade at center, but being able to play Murray-Boyles in the range of 30 minutes per game would mean creating an even more versatile defense and developing a big who can still excel in many of the areas Poeltl is expected to.
Nothing but a trade or a career turnaround will truly remove the burden of Poeltl's contract, but Murray-Boyles is a shield from much of the damage that could be done.
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