At the trade deadline, much of the focus and the reports centered on the Raptors finding solid solutions to improve their middling frontcourt depth. This area was left with a big hole in the absence of Jakob Poeltl, who, thankfully, as of now, is finally available again for the Raptors to utilize. I definitely wanted to see Toronto target some enticing big men on the open market, but even more, I hoped the Raptors could somehow maneuver their way into discussions to trade for impactful bench pieces.
Leading up to the deadline, I kept an eye on the Chicago Bulls as a team of interest, especially as rumors about Coby White and, more notably, Ayo Dosunmu hitting the market started to surface. As we all know, after the deadline passed, Dosunmu was actually traded to a different team. But the Raptors missed out on a golden opportunity because he ended up joining the Minnesota Timberwolves.
As a matter of fact, the Raptors were actually involved in this deal, even though they weren't directly part of the transaction. It all goes back to their puzzling acquisition of Jakob Poeltl at the 2023 trade deadline. Poeltl rejoined the Raptors that year after Toronto boldly traded away a top-six protected 2024 first-round pick, two second-round picks, and the matching salary of Khem Birch. At the time, Toronto was trying its hardest to chase a play-in spot and desperately needed a concrete center option to raise their stakes.
Jakob Poeltl trade saga takes another turn to deepen the Raptors' regret
While Jakob Poeltl eventually proved to be a passable addition down the line, fans and analysts alike were left scratching their heads at Toronto’s decision to give up valuable draft assets at a time when investing in a young prospect seemed more logical. That pick ultimately became Rob Dillingham, who ended up in Minnesota instead of San Antonio, thanks to a draft-day trade. To the Raptors’ relief, at least Dillingham didn’t turn into a superstar they let slip away.
But here’s why I say Toronto still ended up on the short end of the stick in their original Jakob Poeltl trade. The Raptors’ lost draft pick, which became Rob Dillingham, ended up giving Minnesota what should've been Toronto's quintessential deadline addition. With that in mind, it serves as almost a double slap to the face for Toronto.
To be fair, I didn’t envision Dosunmu getting traded for four second-round picks and two young players. I thought maybe Toronto could have entered the mix with Ochai Agbaji and a couple of second-rounders, maybe even throwing in Gradey Dick to shake things up. But the main point is that the Raptors lost out in all aspects of this underrated trade aftermath. They watch a heated foe improve at their expense, and it just makes the original trade logic look worse in hindsight.
The later Jakob Poeltl extension became a whole other problem in itself, but his return to the lineup gives the Raptors a much-needed "trade deadline addition" that could be the difference-maker they've been desperately searching for. Maybe the solution was in-house all along? We’ll just have to see how Poeltl steps up in the second half to draw that conclusion.