HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto recently reported, “Chicago also has significant cap space this summer. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean the Bulls will be looking to make a big splash in free agency. As Chicago embarks on a rebuild, the Bulls are open to absorbing contracts with their cap space in exchange for draft pick compensation, HoopsHype has learned.”
That made the Bulls a potential trade partner for the Raptors. They are looking for a center upgrade, but already ran into some Jakob-Poeltl-related issues at the trade deadline. The Raptors signed Poeltl to a big extension, but he put together his worst statistical campaign in several seasons, and now it seems the only way to move him is to pay a rebuilding team in draft picks to take him on.
However, the window to get a deal done with the Bulls may have already closed. The Bulls landed Nic Claxton in a three-team trade that sent Julius Randle from Minnesota to Brooklyn. With a rim-protecting, rebounding center, who makes just over $20 million in each of the next two seasons, already on the roster, it would make little sense for the Bulls to add Poeltl as well. They may be rebuilding, but with the new lottery rules, rebuilds will look much different, and teams have an incentive to build at least mostly coherent rosters.
The Raptors still have other options
If the Raptors are truly desperate to move on from Poeltl and are willing to pay, there are other options besides Chicago. The Milwaukee Bucks, for example, could be willing to take Poeltl and a draft pick for Myles Turner, whose 3-point shooting would be a breath of fresh air in Toronto’s frontcourt.
Other than that, the Raptors could try to send Poeltl to Memphis. They traded Jaren Jackson Jr. to the Utah Jazz at the trade deadline, are in full rebuild mode, and could use a veteran center behind Zach Edey.
The Raptors could also try to send Poeltl back to San Antonio in a De’Aaron Fox trade after the guard disappointed in his first finals appearance, as proposed in this mock trade.
The only other option is to lean into Collin Murray-Boyles at the five, accept that Poeltl is an overpaid 20-minute-per-game veteran, and save the draft picks it would take to move him this summer. Maybe—although probably far-fetched at this point—he will get off to a good start in the 2026-27 season and rebuild his value to a point that the Raptors can include him in a trade deadline move for a true upgrade.
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