To think, Big Jak might hold the key to a potential superstar trade that could gift the Toronto Raptors their biggest star since Kawhi Leonard.
In a recent edition of Jake Fischer's The People's Insider for Marc Stein's Substack, Toronto's status as a league-wide noise-maker was highlighted, particularly regarding their pursuit of a "big fish," including rumored efforts to acquire Giannis Antetokounmpo and Kevin Durant.
However, within this ambitious vision, the Raptors may need to rely on their standout big man from this past season to come closer to realizing their goal of adding a star at Durant's level.
Fischer's column would state:
Jakob Poeltl expected to play huge role in star trade talks this summer
"Between Barrett and veteran center Jakob Poeltl this summer, Toronto could get to nearly $50 million in outgoing salary relatively easily."Jake Fischer, June 6, 2025
Like I recently suggested in a piece not too long ago, I saw rumors circulating about Phoenix's interest in adding a competent center to their roster. I could easily point to Jakob Poeltl as a fitting candidate for that role. A few short pieces later, Fischer's insights suggest the same, potential combination: matching RJ Barrett's and Poeltl's contracts to a star like Durant’s outgoing salary.
However, it would likely require some additional assets—perhaps the Raptors’ 9th pick or future draft considerations—to get the Suns fully on board.
Poeltl is by no means simply a matching contract for whatever team he's headed to. As Raptors Nation witnessed this past season, the 29-year-old Austrian experienced a career resurgence, establishing himself as one of the league's most underrated big men across both conferences.
Should his second stint with the Raptors come to an end, his new team will likely benefit from a center who's continuing to hit another stride in his development and actively elevating those around him.
It also serves as a testament to how a player, who initially seemed like an oversight by the Raptors' front office, has now become the surprising difference-maker — potentially influencing a deal with drastic implications for Toronto moving forward.
We'll just have to strap into our seats and brace for the rollercoaster ride of an offseason that awaits the Toronto Raptors, as many pundits have come to expect.
Will the buzz around Poeltl's impact be the deciding factor in a potential superstar deal, or are these rumors just white noise designed to sway the front office in Masai Ujiri's favor?
Only time will tell, folks.