"The glass half-full version of the Jakob Poeltl story is likely the one that the front office would share. They traded for a solid starting center who has been incredibly valuable to their team over the last four seasons. In 2023-24, the Raptors were 7.1 points per 100 possessions better with Poeltl on the court (per databallr.com). In 2024-25, the Raps were 6.9 points better, leading to his extension offer last summer."
"If that glass is half full, it's not filled with Tim Horton's coffee or anything else worth drinking. The Raptors have been better with Poeltl than without over the last few seasons, but that is because their other options have been so bad; they have not been good with him manning the center position. This season, indeed, that dynamic has flipped, and the Raptors are 4.4 points worse when he is in the game."
"The original sin was trading the farm for Poeltl in the first place, trying to bolster a mediocre team by trading away a future Top-10 pick. Once Poeltl was on board, they responded with an immediate extension that paid him solid starting center money for the time, a four-year, $78 million pact that paid him an average of $19.5 million per season."
Jakob Poeltl signed a four-year contract extension and the Raptors reached the six-month mark that allows them to trade him. Poeltl produced strong on-court net ratings in 2023-24 and 2024-25, prompting the extension instead of letting him reach unrestricted free agency. The current season shows a reversal, with the team performing 4.4 points worse when he plays. The team traded significant future assets to acquire him and then committed to a four-year, $78 million deal averaging $19.5 million per season. Trade interest will be constrained by his contract and diminishing impact.
Read at Raptors Rapture
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