ESPN’s Raptors Trade Idea Sends Jakob Poeltl Out West
Sure, the Jakob Poeltl trade was a mistake. It didn’t make a ton of sense at the time, and it has only looked worse with the benefit of hindsight. But what the past three weeks have shown is just how valuable the 7-foot Austrian can be.
Consider how the Toronto Raptors have fared without Poeltl. Since January 8, the Raptors have won just once, posting a 1-9 record over the stretch, the worst in the NBA. Defensively, they’ve been a disaster, surrendering 121.3 points per 100 possessions, the fourth worst in the league over the stretch, and their rebounding has been abysmal.
What’s clear is that Poeltl has value. Maybe he’s not a top-10 center, but he adds a ton for a team in need of a big man.
Of the contending teams, there’s really only one who could use Poeltl ahead of the post-season and they’re the team with more future first-round picks than anyone else. ESPN’s Andre’ Snellings suggested a hypothetical deal for the Oklahoma City Thunder to acquire Poeltl and Dennis Schröder from Toronto ahead of the Feb. 8 trade deadline.
Oklahoma City Thunder get: Jakob Poeltl, Dennis Schroder
Toronto Raptors get: Davis Bertans, Aleksej Pokusevski, Tre Mann, Aaron Wiggins, two first-round picks, two second-round picks
Any trade involving the Thunder and future draft picks begs the question of which picks. Oklahoma City has all kinds of draft picks ranging in value from highly coveted future picks to picks that’ll likely be late in the first round. Which of those picks really matters?
