5 Underrated players the Raptors could take back in a Jakob Poeltl trade
No. 4: Simone Fontecchio, Detroit Pistons
The Detroit Pistons have a series of offense-first big men currently jostling around on the roster, and bringing in a rim protector to help raise their defensive floor and make them more of a serious team is certainly on the table for a franchise that has been stuck in the lottery mire for a very long time.
At the same time, the Pistons likely don't want to move any of their key young pieces in a trade for a veteran center making Simone Fontecchio a prime choice to send back in a deal. The 28-year-old forward entered the NBA late but in just two seasons has established himself as a solid rotation option. Last season he averaged 15.2 points and 5.4 rebounds per 36 minutes while shooting 40.1 percent from deep and playing solid defense.
If his shooting maintains, he would be an excellent backup to RJ Barrett, and able to play alongside him in larger wing combinations. At 6'8" he could also step in at power forward in wing-heavy lineups, an option simply not available to the Raptors right now. He is signed for the next two seasons at an average of $8 million, a bargain given his positional value and two-way ability.
No. 3: Karlo Matkovic, New Orleans Pelicans
The New Orleans Pelicans desperately need a reliable center, as they are rolling into the season as a team both hoping to secure a Top-4 seed in the Western Conference and without a single starting-level center on the roster; they have journeyman center Daniel Theis and a pair of rookies.
New Orleans needs someone who can help them win now, and they have showed interest in Poeltl in the recent past. Part of the return package could be Karlo Matkovic, the 52nd overall pick in 2022 who just signed to come over and enter the NBA for the first time.
The Bosnian center mashed his way through Summer League in Las Vegas this past July and has intrigue as a player who can grow into a larger role; the Raptors can exercise the patience the Pelicans likely can't in developing him over the next few years, and potentially get their center of the future back in a Poeltl deal.