Arguments for and against the Raptors making Jakob Poeltl available in trade negotiations: The Raptors may have to make a fascinating choice.
A few months ago, this would have seemed absurd because the Raptors had just awarded Poeltl a four-year contract worth roughly $80 million and dubbed him a “top 10 center.”But despite being once again a very effective center who has demonstrated competence on both ends, he hasn’t lived up to the hype.
Given the Raptors’ poor spacing and sharp decline on the defensive end of the court, one has to wonder if Masai Ujiri will realize this team’s issues and attempt to get rid of Poeltl. Poeltl still has a great deal of value despite the Raptors’ poor season.
In the event that Poeltl becomes available once more, competitors may engage in a legitimate site bidding war. But Ujiri might have to deal with an entirely new set of issues if the Raptors succeed. Despite his flaws, Poeltl continues to be incredibly productive in a number of important areas.
The benefits and drawbacks of the Toronto Raptors’ trade of Jakob Poeltl.
Pros
It’s obvious that the Raptors struggle with proper spacing, and it doesn’t help that they’re letting someone who isn’t a threat stand out on the floor and look at the basket from a distance of more than 12 feet. Poeltl doesn’t appear to be suited for Darko Rajakovic’s style of play.
Although Poeltl is a strong defensive center and a superb finisher, Toronto may not have been prepared for his generally below-average offensive and defensive performances this season. With him on the court, the offense isn’t as fluid, and the defense hasn’t been as good as it was the previous year.
Jakob Poeltl could be traded by the Toronto Raptors to start over.
Poeltl is paid $20 million by the Raptors each season, but he isn’t performing like a player worth $20 million annually. In addition to bringing in a healthy return, trading him might allow them greater financial flexibility as they attempt to pay players like Scottie Barnes and OG Anunoby.
With the money saved, Toronto could purchase shooters in addition to a less expensive but still functional center. Since the Raptors don’t currently own any picks for the NBA Draft in 2024, they may also be able to recover some draft capital.
Cons
Poeltl isn’t really altering the course of the game, but it might be difficult for the Raptors to find his replacement. Chris Boucher and Precious Achiuwa lack the rim protection and height necessary for center play, and Christian Koloko hasn’t appeared in a game all season.
How many times did Raptors supporters shout and cry during the 2022โ2023 season that they couldn’t secure the paint and convert easy looks inside because they didn’t have a true center? Why would they get rid of him and start the search all over again after they had finally found one, even if it was at a steep cost?
Trading Jakob Poeltl would be a step backward for the Toronto Raptors.
Poeltl is still one of the team’s few outstanding rebounders and is hitting over 70% of his shots from the field. How many times has Poeltl’s timely offensive boards and putbacks saved this team? Boucher and Achiuwa have shown extreme inconsistency. Which of them would be better at the job?
Although Poeltl’s contract isn’t a bad deal, most general managers aren’t looking to add it to their roster. At this point, the value they could obtain for his services would be restricted, negating the original intent behind the trade.
Verdict
Before the Raptors begin to seriously consider a Poeltl trade, they should think about trading names like Pascal Siakam. While his removal might help the team resolve some of its immediate problems, it might also cause some additional, equally problematic problems to arise.
While Poeltl may not be the answer to all of Toronto’s problems right now, the former Top 10 pick has played like one of the best centers in the league in a number of fantastic paint games. Not fifteen Poeltls lying around begging to be signed.
We need to hang onto Jakob Poeltl for the Toronto Raptors.
An offseason trade might make more sense as the team looks to put together a more cohesive plan if the Raptors are set on possibly moving off Poeltl, which would require them to completely scrap an organizational plan that marked him as a franchise cornerstone just a few months ago.
As things stand, moving off Poeltl would be yet another desperate attempt by the Raptors front office to retool rather than rebuild, particularly if they fail to move forward with a Siakam trade. Delay the mock trades until they are completely convinced by an absurd offer.