Will Recent Slide Motivate or Deter Raptors From Jakob Poeltl Trade?

The Toronto Raptors have been linked recently to San Antonio Spurs center Jakob Poeltl in trade rumors. Does it still make sense for them to pursue a deal?

The San Antonio Spurs are among the top teams to watch as being a seller at the NBA trade deadline. They moved on from All-Star guard Dejounte Murray in exchange for future draft capital in the offseason, positioning themselves for a long-term rebuilding effort. 

While the Spurs began the 2022-23 season with a 5-2 record — the second-best start in franchise history through seven games — things have trended downward in a major way since that point. San Antonio is 9-20 entering Monday's matchup against the Houston Rockets. 

As the midseason trade deadline continues to approach, Jakob Poeltl is on the shortlist of trade candidate to monitor. He is 27-year-old and is playing on the final year of his contract with the math behind a possible contract extension being illogical for him to sign a deal — making him on a prime candidate to reach unrestricted free agency this summer. 

Poeltl should draw significant trade interest from around the NBA as he's averaging 12.6 points, 9.7 rebounds, and 3.3 assists in 26.9 minutes per game. He's doing so while shooting an impressive 63.6 percent from the floor. If the Spurs do move the big man, the Toronto Raptors have remained a team to watch as a possible suitor.

Jake Fischer of Yahoo! Sports recently reported on the Raptors’ interest in trading for Poeltl. The Boston Celtics were mentioned as a possible suitor in the report, but are considered as being "content" with their current roster. 

“The 7-foot-1 center’s original team is reportedly interested in bringing him back. The Toronto Raptors have retained interest in Poeltl since they traded him to the Spurs in the deal that brought Kawhi Leonard north. The Boston Celtics have also been linked to Poeltl, but for now the Celtics appear to be content with their roster as is.”

Fischer's report linking the Raptors to Poeltl as a potential trade suitor was far from the first mention of the possibility. It was recently reported by LJ Ellis on Spurs Talk that two teams have emerged as suitors for Poeltl; the Golden State Warriors and Raptors.

In terms of what a potential trade could look like, any deal would need to involve draft capital to entice the Spurs to part with Poeltl. While the Spurs would certainly like to receive multiple first-round picks, the asking price must surely include at least one first-round pick.  

The Raptors have made a lot of sense as a landing spot for Poeltl in recent weeks. Toronto is a team in win-now mode with a need for a stable center option that improves their offense and defense in complementary ways. However, as of right now, they have lost five consecutive games and are 13-17 on the season. 

Does it make sense to send for the Raptors to move draft capital in a midseason trade anymore? It would need to be up to president of basketball operations Masai Ujiri to determine if so. From the outside, it looks more logical for Toronto to move on from veterans like Fred VanVleet, Pascal Siakam, or O.G. Anunoby for assets. 

There isn't a midseason trade that would make the Raptors a serious title contender. The current trajectory doesn't appear to exist for Toronto to reach such a level anytime soon. Worst of all, the roster will get expensive with VanVleet and Gary Trent Jr. each having player options this offseason with the potential to earn significant paydays. 

VanVleet has been an integral element of the Raptors' success. However, does it make sense to pay big money to a small guard who will be 29-years-old in late-February considering he's always been among the worse finishers in the NBA. As he ages, that will only worsen. He's averaging 19.0 points and 6.3 assists, but has struggling efficiency. His output of 0.942 points per possession ranks 95th among 124 players with at least 300 possessions. 

Siakam and Anunoby could reach free agency realistically after the 2023-24 season barring any contract extension being reached. Siakam, 28, has earned multiple All-NBA nods and is at a point of his career that his trade value is probably peaking. Now would be the time to move him to supercharge a rebuilding effort if that route was desired. 

Again, it remains to be seen what the Raptors ultimately view their options as being as the midseason trade deadline nears. If they want to keep competing, they may find themselves needing to acquire a piece like Poeltl at the trade deadline to help turn things around. There's a logical case to tear it down, too. 

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