According to nba.com, the Toronto Raptors have brought back center Jakob Poeltl. Initially drafted by the Raptors ninth overall in the 2016 NBA Draft, Poeltl played two seasons for Toronto from 2016 to 2018, before playing the last five seasons with the San Antonio Spurs. He was traded from the San Antonio Spurs to the Raptors for Canadian center Khem Birch of Montreal, a first round pick in 2024, a second round pick in 2023, and a second round pick in 2025.
Poeltl, who is from Vienna, Austria, is averaging 12.1 points per game, nine rebounds per game, and 3.1 assists per game. He has a field goal percentage of .616, and a free throw percentage of .605. Poeltl played his college basketball at the University of Utah.
The fact that the Raptors only made the move to acquire Poeltl at the trade deadline was a surprise for many. That is because Fred VanVleet and Gary Trent Jr. were strongly considered in trade rumours.
The Raptors are currently in 10th place in the Eastern Conference with a record of 26 wins and 30 losses. Remember, in the expanded NBA playoff format, that is good enough to participate in the play-in tournament. The Raptors have also won three games in a row. They beat Houston 117-111 on February 3, Memphis 106-103 on February 5, and San Antonio 112-98 on February 8.
