Ever since they won their first NBA title in 2019, the Toronto Raptors have dealt with a lot of consistency issues as a team. After going 27-45 last season, missing the playoffs for the first time since 2013, and losing Kyle Lowry in the offseason, the Raptors have once again struggled to find consistency.
Toronto is 22-22 right now this season and while they have some All-Star-level talents in Pascal Siakam and Fred VanVleet, there are still a lot of holes to try and fill on this roster.
At full health this season, the Raptors starting lineup of Fred VanVleet, Gary Trent Jr., OG Anunoby, Scottie Barnes and Pascal Siakam have combined to account for 68% of the team’s total scoring output this season and a lot of the Raptors’ problems lie in their frontcourt.
Siakam is an All-Star frontcourt talent, but Precious Achiuwa, Khem Birch and Chris Boucher have all been inconsistent options at the center position.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Toronto Raptors Interested In Trade To Bring Back Jakob Poeltl
Ever since Serge Ibaka and Marc Gasol both left the team following their 2019 championship, Toronto has been looking to fill the void left at the center position.
Expected to be “buyers” and not “sellers” at the trade deadline this season, team president of basketball operations Masai Ujiri could very well look to address this frontcourt problem by targeting another center. A familiar name that could make a lot of sense for this team to pair with Pascal Siakam in the frontcourt is Jakob Poeltl.
Drafted 9th overall in 2016 by the Raptors, Jakob Poeltl spent the first two seasons of his career in Toronto before being included in the trade that sent DeMar DeRozan to the Spurs and Kawhi Leonard to the Raptors in 2018.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Toronto Raptors Interested In Trade To Bring Back Jakob Poeltl
Since joining the Spurs, Poeltl has turned himself into one of the most underrated centers in the league and is having a career year in San Antonio. The Spurs are a young team looking to build their identity right now, so will they even be willing to discuss trades involving Poeltl?
Let’s take a look at a trade proposal put together by Bleacher Report’s Greg Swartz that involves both the Toronto Raptors and San Antonio Spurs.
