By Eurohoops Team / info@eurohoops.net
Austrian center Jakob Poeltl is heading north, as the San Antonio Spurs reportedly traded him in exchange for center Khem Birch on Wednesday night. The Spurs will also receive a protected 2024 first-round draft pick and two future second-rounders, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Poeltl played for the Raptors for the first two seasons of his career before spending 4 1/2 in San Antonio.
The Raptors were in dire need of a rim-protecting center, and Poeltl provides that. While he is a free agent at the end of this season, he could be retained for a price that is much cheaper than what either Fred VanVleet or Gary Trent Jr. is going to cost.
San Antonio, meanwhile, is taking on salary filler in Birch and three draft picks for a player they likely were not going to hold onto in free agency.
Poeltl is averaging 12.1 points, 9.1 rebounds, and 3.1 assists per game this season, making him one of the few bright spots on a Spurs team that is once again going nowhere. His talents will be better put to use in Toronto, where the Raptors can solve one of their biggest issues.