BREAKING: Spurs Trade Jakob Poeltl to Raptors - Full Details

The San Antonio Spurs have made a trade with the Toronto Raptors, sending standout center Jakob Poeltl back to the team that drafted him.

The San Antonio Spurs have traded center Jakob Poeltl to the Toronto Raptors for center Khem Birch, a protected 2024 first-round pick and two future second-round picks, per reports Wednesday night from ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

The Raptors beat the Spurs 112-98 at Scotiabank Arena Wednesday night, just mere hours before the trade news was announced.

Poeltl, who was the No. 9 overall pick by the Raptors in 2016, played two seasons in Toronto before a part of the deal that sent DeMar DeRozan and a first-round pick to San Antonio on exchange for Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green in 2018. The Raptors would go on to win their first ring in franchise history in June 2019.

Now, he’s returning back to Toronto to join a Raptors team that is currently 10th in the Eastern Conference with a 26-30 record.

Poeltl is averaging 12.1 points, 9.1 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.2 blocks this season, and has started all 45 games he’s played in during the campaign with San Antonio. 

As for the Spurs, they now have 13 first-round picks in the bag through the 2029 season. The team’s acquisition of Birch, who is averaging 2.2 points and 1.3 rebounds this season, gives San Antonio some temporary frontcourt depth with Poeltl’s departure.

The Spurs are expected to remain busy ahead of Thursday’s trade deadline at 2 p.m. CT.

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