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?

For Toronto, this deal would allow the Raptors to dive into a rebuild with those future draft pick assets without Poeltl and Schröder around to contribute to winning. The trio of returning players doesn’t offer much value, but it’s not a bad return for two players who are unlikely to help Toronto’s long-term goals.

For the Thunder, the deal probably makes a little less sense. They would add a pair of veteran players in this deal who would help this season, but Oklahoma City isn’t expected to make a big move ahead of the trade deadline. The Thunder have been the second-best team in the West this year and they don’t appear eager to make any major moves without first seeing how their young core fares in the post-season.

Poeltl would certainly help ease the burden Chet Holmgren is carrying as OKC’s lone big man, but with the 28-year-old Austrian on a long-term deal, he’s probably not the type of player the Thunder are going to target with their bevy of draft picks.

While the Raptors are expected to make almost everyone available ahead of the trade deadline, it's hard to see Toronto trading Poeltl just one year into his contract. It's plausible, but this hypothetical deal feels highly unlikely.