Report: Raptors Acquire Jakob Poeltl For Khem Birch & 2024 1st

The Toronto Raptors have reportedly acquired Jakob Poeltl from the San Antonio Spurs for Khem Birch and a 2024 first-round pick

All Raptors Staff | Feb 9, 2023

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Jakob Poeltl won't have to travel far.

Just hours after the Toronto Raptors knocked off the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday night, the two teams have reportedly worked out a deal to send Poeltl back to Toronto for Khem Birch and a protected 2024 first-round pick, per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

The Toronto Raptors are acquiring San Antonio Spurs center Jakob Poeltl for Khem Birch, a protected 2024 first-round draft pick and two future second-round picks, sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/9Iz7KFCd20
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 9, 2023

It's unclear what the protections are on the pick but the deal will bring Poeltl back to Toronto having traded the 27-year-old alongside DeMar DeRozan in the Kawhi Leonard deal of 2018.

"We loved him when he was here," Raptors coach Nick Nurse said Wednesday night of Poeltl. "Just a really good, smart, tough, hard-working, does a lot of the game, right? He’s a screener, a rebounder, rim protector, pretty smart on ‘D’, not necessarily a shot blocker but body up rim protector kind of guy.

"That’s pretty good on the list of big guy things to do: If you can rebound, protect the rim and pass the ball, set a few screens, he can handle it and get it to the rim and finish a little bit, too. Yep, we really liked him when he was here."

Poeltl will slide immedately into Toronto's starting center spot and fill a much-needed void the Raptors have had since the departure of Marc Gasol and Serge Ibaka in 2020.

By acquiring Poeltl ahead of the deadline, the Raptors have the opporunity to re-sign the 7-foot-1 big when he hits unrestricted free agency this summer. The hiccup for Toronto will be navigating Poeltl's contract alongside Fred VanVleet and Gary Trent Jr. who will both be unrestricted free agents this summer as well.

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