Jakob Poeltl has quietly become part of a conversation Raptors fans did not want to hear.
The team drafted him 9th overall in the 2016 NBA Draft. He was an effective member of the Raptors’ famed “Bench Mob” before being traded to San Antonio as part of the Kawhi Leonard deal. Poeltl made his way back to Toronto during the 2023 season.
Despite moving around, Poeltl has been a very effective player throughout his career. Never a star, but always a high-end complementary piece who understands his role and helps his team win games by doing the dirty work.
Last offseason, Toronto rewarded him with a four-year, $104 million contract extension. That decision was met with mixed reviews. Many believed it was a large number for a player who would be in his mid-30s by the end of the deal. At the same time, many acknowledged that Poeltl’s dirty work made the team better.
His first season after signing the contract has not been encouraging, and now that contract is starting to draw outside attention.
Jakob Poeltl selected in Bill Simmons’ annual “Worst Contracts Draft”
Each year, Bill Simmons hosts a segment on his podcast where he and his guests draft the worst contracts in the NBA.
Jakob Poeltl received an unflattering mention in this year’s edition. He was selected with the fifth pick. Simmons and his guests pointed to his health, the length of his contract, and his limited playing time history (Poeltl has never averaged 30 minutes per game in a season). They questioned the decision to give him the extension and suggested the Raptors would be better off with Collin Murray-Boyles starting at center going forward.
Some fair points were made. Poeltl has been hampered by injuries all season. He has missed 35 games and has looked slow in stretches when he has played. The history of seven-footers in their 30s dealing with recurring back injuries is not encouraging.
However, just last season, Poeltl was one of Toronto’s most important players. He led the team in rebounds and blocks, posted the highest on-off rating among rotation players, and anchored a defense that looked completely different when he was off the floor. Toronto was simply a better team with Poeltl on the court.
Poeltl’s contract is larger than many Raptors fans would like, and his injuries are a real concern. But that does not define his impact as a player.
When fully healthy, Poeltl provides an interior presence this roster simply does not have without him. The Raptors’ defensive identity, their rebounding, and their overall structure all shift when he is unavailable.
There is a reason the front office committed to him long-term. One injury-plagued season should not overwrite the value Poeltl has consistently provided throughout his career.