The benefits and drawbacks of the Raptors offering Jakob Poeltl in trade negotiations
In recent weeks, there have been numerous trade rumors regarding the Toronto Raptors; however, the majority of these rumors have focused on OG Anunoby and Pascal Siakam. Is it possible that the Raptors will decide to relist center Jakob Poeltl?
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.” He has, however, fallen short of expectations despite being, once again, a very effective center who has demonstrated competence on both ends.
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.
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.
