Now I fully ackowledge that Jakob Poeltl is probably among the least desirable players in the entire league right now. There's a reason why teams like Memphis and Sacramento were previously rumored suitors, and in the Kings' case, they have recently been turned off by the idea of acquiring the aging big man and his expensive contract.
That being said, when a team is actively searching for upgrades at a position, you never know just how much they could see value in a specific asset — even if we're talking about a relatively faltering player like Jakob Poeltl.
Buzzing in the rumor mill lately (pun definitely intended) is the Charlotte Hornets' reported interest in upgrading at the center position. Particularly, finding a starting-caliber five to help iron out the kinks in their improving roster, and to provide better depth and flexibility around youngsters Ryan Kalkbrenner and Moussa Diabate.
The name who has been floating around in particular is Domantas Sabonis, who has also been linked to the Raptors as a potential target.
However, within the reported framework of a Sabonis deal, many of the hurdles revolve around Charlotte's willingness to trading their first-round draft picks, of which they hold No. 14 and No. 18 in next week's 2026 NBA Draft. If the Hornets want to stand pat with their picks while still addressing their need at center, this is where the Toronto Raptors should step in and capitalize on the potential opportunity to offload Jakob Poeltl.
Charlotte Hornets could be an interesting landing spot for Jakob Poeltl
The Hornets actually have some expiring assets they could potentially 'dump' if they see fit, including players like Grant Williams and Josh Green, and an additional name like Tre Mann, who seemingly fell out of Charlotte's long-term plans. Sending Jakob Poeltl along with perhaps a cavalcade of second-round picks to Buzz City for a package featuring Williams or Green and Tre Mann looks like an ideal deal that would finally provide Toronto with some relief — while also adding quality players who could slot into the rotation next year.
Williams, while an undersized big, could be a strong veteran addition; Mann is a potential spark plug scoring guard to come off the bench; and Green is a serviceable 3-and-D wing.
This is a transaction where Charlotte likely has a bit more leverage, so they wouldn’t necessarily need to include any draft picks in such a deal; that would be Toronto’s concern. However, if the Hornets get too greedy and start asking for first-round picks along in the deal, it could sour the Raptors and potentially end trade talks.
That said, I understand why a team would want at least one first-round pick to take on Poeltl’s contract, so it would be up to Bobby Webster to work some magic there. Even a protected first-round pick combined with a couple of seconds might not be a terrible framework.
In a previous piece, I highlighted that Toronto shouldn't be too hasty in moving their upcoming 19th pick if the return doesn't favor them. However, I think that if the goal is to shed Poeltl's salary, including the pick in a deal of this nature might be worth the risk, especially since the proposed assets coming back are passable too.
The 2025-26 season was perhaps rock bottom for Jakob Poeltl. While it’s understandable to think that things might only get worse from here for a 30-year-old center dealing with nagging back issues — optimism suggests that Poeltl can only improve from this point.
That is at least the hope for Toronto, whether they decide to keep him or trade him.
Although the peak of Poeltl being a strong starting center is probably behind him, I believe he could still be a perfect fit for a team like Charlotte. It would give them a veteran option to start or play modest minutes without hindering the development of their young big men, Kalkbrenner and Diabate.
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