5 Underrated players the Raptors could take back in a Jakob Poeltl trade
There are a lot of good arguments for trading Jakob Poeltl.
That doesn't mean that the Toronto Raptors will trade him; this front office is certainly very attached to him and gave up a lot to get him. It also doesn't mean the Raptors should trade him if the return packages don't make sense. Moving on from Poeltl will also mean a major step back at the center position, as the depth behind him is paper-thin.
The other side of that coin is that the Raptors should be looking to the future, and it's unlikely Poeltl is playing center on the next great Raptors team in a few seasons. Whether that means a floor-spacing big to pair with Scottie Barnes or simply someone more versatile than Poeltl on both ends of the court, finding another solution at the position makes a lot of sense. With Poeltl likely at the peak of his value right now, trading him in the next six months may be in the cards.
Which players around the league could potentially head back to Toronto in a Jakob Poeltl trade? Let's look at five potential destinations for the veteran center and identify the players who could be part of a return package for him.
No. 5: Tari Eason, Houston Rockets
When we recently wrote a piece on teams that could still be in the Jakob Poeltl derby, our surprise pick was the Houston Rockets, a team that is seeking a defensive identity and hasn't yet committed to Alperen Sengun. Something else true about the Rockets is that they have an abundance of young, talented players who could be included in a deal.
Tari Eason has battled injuries and a packed depth chart early in his career, but when he is on the court he has been a highly productive athlete, flying around the court defensively, thriving in transition and filling in all of the spaces on offense. He would provide needed forward depth for the Raptors and be able to play both beside and behind Scottie Barnes at power forward.
Given that the Raptors have Jabari Smith Jr. and Dillon Brooks locked into the starting forward spots, and Cam Whitmore and Amen Thompson as higher-level prospects and able to play at forward, Eason's role moving forward is not secure and he would be a logical addition to a trade package for Jakob Poeltl. That would be a coup for the Raptors, who need a player just like Eason.