7 Jakob Poeltl trades the Raptors must explore to maximize their rebuild

No. 2: Jakob Poeltl traded to the Memphis Grizzlies

The Memphis Grizzlies had one of the best records in the league two seasons ago, with Jaren Jackson Jr. winning Defensive Player of the Year deployed as a do-it-all defender at power forward with bruising center Steven Adams able to lock down the paint. Last year, with Adams and backup center Brandon Clarke both hurt, Jackson was forced to play most of his minutes at center and his impact slipped.

All signs point to the Grizzlies recognizing that fact and trying to find a starting center with real size to come in and allow Jackson to move back to the 4. Jakob Poeltl fits the bill perfectly, bringing the same kind of size and interior presence as Adams. Poeltl is a better rim protector than the New Zealand veteran but slightly worse on the glass, but Poeltl is also much better as a pick-and-roll partner and lob threat.

Here is what the Grizzlies could offer:

The Grizzlies get their starting center and otherwise keep their core together, likely starting Ja Morant, Desmond Bane, Marcus Smart, Jaren Jackson Jr. and Jakob Poeltl in a terrifying defensive group.

The Toronto Raptors get the No. 9 pick as the centerpiece of the package, which is not in a great spot to draft a replacement center but allows them to take a swing on a higher-upside perimeter option; they can likely pick from a few options at center with the 19th pick. In the short-term, Brandon Clarke is a solid starting option for this next year, an analytics darling who would be an excellent pairing in a switch scheme with Scottie Barnes.

Ziaire Williams has good size and the outline of a 3-and-D combo forward, but he hasn't put it all together yet and would be a buy-low flier for Toronto to try and unlock this year before he hits restricted free agency next summer. This is solid value for the Poeltl.

Grade: B+