Toronto Raptors Trade For Former Lottery Pick


With all the uproar over the Kevin Durant blockbuster, another deal overnight may have gotten lost in all the noise. The Toronto Raptors finally get their reunion with the big man they drafted and developed back in 2016 and 2017. 

The Raptors acquire center Jakob Poeltl from the San Antonio Spurs for Khem Birch, a protected 2024 first-round draft pick and two future second-round picks. 

Toronto made Poeltl the No. 9 overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft, and he was a nice developing piece of their second unit (that also included Fred VanVleet and Pascal Siakam at the time), before they packaged him with DeMar DeRozan in the fateful Kawhi Leonard trade with San Antonio.

Now they've gone back to the Spurs, thanked them for continuing to develop the big Austrian into a solid NBA center, and reacquired him. 

This could be only a precursor of other big things to come on Deadline Day for the Raptors. We'll be keeping a close eye on Toronto as 3pm ET approaches. 

Photo: Nick Turchiaro-USA TODAY Sports