With the pre-trade deadline market heating up in the NBA, Jakob Poeltl is a name that has garnered a lot of attention.
The San Antonio Spurs big man is having a great season, and a lot of teams appear to be interested in the 27-year-old Austrian.
Though there have been reports linking Poeltl to the Boston Celtics, a recent report indicated that sources within the league have “downplayed” the likelihood of a trade between the Spurs and Celtics actually getting done.
“League sources outside of the Boston organization downplayed the likelihood of a Poeltl acquisition, pointing out that if the Spurs do deal him, the impending free agent would make more sense somewhere he is a better long-term fit,” Jay King of The Athletic reported. “With [Al] Horford and [Robert] Williams each signed through at least the 2024-25 season, Boston likely has no room to commit to Poeltl as a starter on a big, long-term contract.”
The money is one issue for the Celtics, and the asking price that the Spurs currently seem to have for Poeltl would very likely be another. According to a recent report, the Spurs want two first-round draft picks in return for the 7-foot-1 player.
“The sticking point has been, as always, price. San Antonio has made it known to interested parties throughout the league the Spurs want two first-round picks for Poeltl, according to team and league sources, which was the same stance they took on Derrick White last season,” Jared Weiss of The Athletic wrote.
While the asking price is definitely high, it isn’t much of a mystery why. Poeltl clearly has what it takes to be an anchor in the frontcourt for any team in the league.
He’s currently putting up 12.1 points, 9.2 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.2 blocks per game. He’s definitely an old-school big man in the sense that he doesn’t have the ability to stretch the floor with his shot, but he doesn’t need to have that in order to have an impact on the game.
Though Poeltl may end up being out of reach for the Celtics, they are certainly a team to keep an eye on as the trade deadline approaches. The Celtics have a clear goal of getting back to the NBA Finals this season. Fine-tuning the roster is definitely a goal for the team at the moment.
Though they fell just short of their ultimate goal of winning a title last season, they seem primed to try to right that wrong this year. They currently lay claim to the best record in the NBA with 35 wins and just 14 losses on the season.
