<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/raptors-news-jakob-poeltl-injury-adds-to-torontos-woes');   ga('set', 'title', 'Jakob Poeltl injury adds to Raptors’ woes');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Raptors-news-Jakob-Poeltl-injury-adds-to-Torontos-woes.jpg"></figure><h1>Jakob Poeltl injury adds to Raptors’ woes</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-16T20:31:14-08:00">December 16th, 8:31pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-16T20:31:14-08:00">December 16th, 8:31pm</time><address><a href="https://letterboxd.com/splooshpuhrty/films/by/your-rating/">Jedd Pagaduan</a>Jedd Pagaduan is a certified Clippers and Gunners fan, which means he's a very sports-traumatized individual. He now writes about sports instead as a form of therapy.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>While <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/raptors-news-fans-torn-after-jakob-poeltl-surprise-tanking-admission">no one expected the Toronto Raptors to be competitive</a> during the 2024-25 season, they have at least been one of the most exciting teams to watch in the NBA. However, injuries have been troubling the Raptors all season long, with Immanuel Quickley still on the mend and Scottie Barnes, shortly after returning from an orbital fracture, proceeding to injure his ankle. To make matters worse, the Raptors may be in danger of missing Jakob Poeltl after their starting center sustained a <a href="https://x.com/JLew1050/status/1868851031926530356" rel="noopener">serious-looking groin injury</a> in their 122-121 loss to the Chicago Bulls on Monday night.</p><p>Poeltl, as per Josh Lewenberg of TSN, ended up slipping on a spot near the restricted area where officials were dealing with condensation earlier in the game. It was a <a href="https://twitter.com/PensareBBall/status/1868849914769465620" rel="noopener">brutal looking slip</a> for the Raptors center, as he nearly did a full slip while trying to contest a floater attempt from Bulls guard Ayo Dosunmu.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Raptors season from hell continues. Jakob Poeltl injured on a scary fall. <a href="https://t.co/SEJEHancho">pic.twitter.com/SEJEHancho</a></p><p>— Pensare Basketball (@PensareBBall) <a href="https://twitter.com/PensareBBall/status/1868849914769465620?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 17, 2024</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>At the very least, the good news for the Raptors is that Poeltl was able to return to the locker room under his own power, although it has to be said that he was walking gingerly. Poeltl had to exit the game early (he left the game at the 10:12 mark of the fourth quarter) and was not able to return, so he was not present for when Toronto stormed back from a double-digit deficit and nearly snatched the victory.</p><p>The hope for the Raptors is that the groin injury Poeltl suffered isn’t too serious and that he would be back to action for their Thursday night contest against the Brooklyn Nets. If Poeltl cannot go on Thursday, expect the likes of Chris Boucher, Kelly Olynyk, and even Jamal Shead to get some extended burn.</p><h2><b>Raptors scrap and claw amid tanking season</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Raptors-center-Jakob-Poeltl-19-after-sustaining-a-lower-body-injury.jpg"><figcaption>© Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>If there ever was a year for <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/raptors-most-pleasant-surprise-early-2024-25-season">the Raptors to punt</a>, it’s this season; in addition to Cooper Flagg, a few of the incoming NBA prospects look like gems, with the likes of Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey, just to name a few, looking like franchise-altering talents. But they have been building some winning habits this season even if it hasn’t resulted in much on the wing column.</p><p>Even though the Raptors have a bad 7-20 record, they have shown an indomitable fighting spirit, and that is a testament to the solid coaching of Darko Rajakovic that he has his men ready to compete on most nights. And Monday night showed nothing different, as they nearly came back from 16 down to make the Bulls sweat in the endgame — even with Jakob Poeltl exiting early.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Jakob Poeltl injury adds to Raptors’ woes

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/raptors-news-jakob-poeltl-playing-mavericks-injury-update');   ga('set', 'title', 'Is Raptors’ Jakob Poeltl playing vs. Mavericks? Latest injury update');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/poeltl-mavericks.jpeg"></figure><h1>Is Raptors’ Jakob Poeltl playing vs. Mavericks? Latest injury update</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-07T09:58:30-08:00">December 7th, 9:58am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-07T10:01:00-08:00">December 7th, 10:01am</time><address><a href="https://www.facebook.com/joey.mistretta/" rel="facebook">Joey Mistretta</a>Joey Mistretta is a Dallas Mavericks beat reporter, Dallas Wings beat reporter and lead MLB editor for ClutchPoints. He is originally from Lake Arrowhead, California. Mistretta graduated from Biola University with a degree in broadcast journalism.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Dallas Mavericks and Toronto Raptors will go head-to-head on Saturday night. The Raptors are hoping to upset a scorching hot Mavericks team that has won six consecutive games. Injuries could significantly impact the contest, though.</p><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mavericks-news-dallas-jaden-hardy-naji-marshall-injury-updates-raptors">Mavericks are dealing with injury concerns of their own</a>, but Toronto’s injury report is especially uncertain. Jakob Poeltl is among the Raptors listed on the injury report.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/raptors-news-jakob-poeltl-gradey-dick-injury-updates-thunder-game">Poeltl has been dealing with an illness</a>. The Raptors would benefit from having Poeltl on the floor without question, as slowing down the Mavs’ center duo of Dereck Lively II and Daniel Gafford will prove to be a challenge.</p><p>Poeltl is averaging 16 points, 11.8 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.1 steals and 1.3 blocks per outing so far in the 2024-25 season. The Raptors center is also shooting 59.4 percent from the field.</p><p>Here is everything we know about Jakob Poeltl’s injury status for tonight’s game vs. the Mavericks.</p><p><b><i>*Watch NBA games LIVE with fuboTV (</i></b><a href="https://www.fubo.tv/lp/nba/?irad=356361&amp;irmp=492408" rel="noopener sponsored"><b><i>Get Access | Save $30</i></b></a><i>)</i><b><i>*</i></b></p><h2><b>Jakob Poeltl’s injury status for Mavericks-Raptors clash</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Jakob-Poeltl.jpg"><figcaption>Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>According to the NBA injury report, Poeltl is <a href="https://ak-static.cms.nba.com/referee/injury/Injury-Report_2024-12-07_12PM.pdf" rel="noopener">listed as questionable</a> as he continues to battle an illness.</p><p>Toronto is 7-16 up to this point in the season. They were most recently defeated 129-92 by the Oklahoma City Thunder. However, they won the game before that contest against the Indiana Pacers, earning a 122-111 victory on Tuesday.</p><p>The Mavericks, as already mentioned, have won six games in a row heading into Saturday night’s contest. Dallas is climbing the standings in the Western Conference, as they are now 15-8 overall.</p><p>Playing at home should give the Raptors a respectable opportunity to pull off the upset, but the Mavs have been able to take care of business on the road as well.</p><p>As for the question of whether or not Jakob Poeltl is playing tonight vs. the Mavericks, the answer is currently uncertain.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Is Raptors’ Jakob Poeltl playing vs. Mavericks? Latest injury update

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/raptors-news-jakob-poeltl-gradey-dick-injury-updates-thunder-game');   ga('set', 'title', 'Raptors get Jakob Poeltl, Gradey Dick injury updates for Thunder game');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Toronto-gets-Jakob-Poeltl-Gradey-Dick-injury-updates.jpg"></figure><h1>Raptors get Jakob Poeltl, Gradey Dick injury updates for Thunder game</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-05T13:29:05-08:00">December 5th, 1:29pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-05T14:24:09-08:00">December 5th, 2:24pm</time><address><a href="https://www.facebook.com/joey.mistretta/" rel="facebook">Joey Mistretta</a>Joey Mistretta is a Dallas Mavericks beat reporter, Dallas Wings beat reporter and lead MLB editor for ClutchPoints. He is originally from Lake Arrowhead, California. Mistretta graduated from Biola University with a degree in broadcast journalism.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The 7-15 Toronto Raptors are looking to upset the 16-5 Oklahoma City Thunder at home on Thursday night. Jakob Poeltl and Gradey Dick are both dealing with injury concerns heading into the contest, though.</p><p>Most of the headlines surrounding the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/raptors-news-23-million-player-trade-talks">Raptors this season have centered around players who could be traded</a>. Toronto is likely not going to contend during the 2024-25 season unless they turn things around as soon as possible. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/raptors-news-scottie-barnes-replicates-2004-vince-carter-feat-vs-pacers">Scottie Barnes is doing everything he can to lead the Raptors</a>, but Toronto is rebuilding at the moment.</p><p>Nevertheless, the Raptors are hoping to upset the Thunder on Thursday. Having players such as Poeltl and Dick available alongside Barnes would help matters, without question. Here is what we know about Jakob Poeltl and Gradey Dick’s injury statuses for tonight’s game vs. the Thunder.</p><h2><b>Jakob Poeltl, Gradey Dick injury statuses for Thunder-Raptors game</b></h2><p>Poeltl and Dick are <a href="https://ak-static.cms.nba.com/referee/injury/Injury-Report_2024-12-05_03PM.pdf" rel="noopener">both listed as questionable</a>, per the NBA injury report. Dick is dealing with a left calf contusion, while Poeltl is battling an illness.</p><p>Poeltl, a 29-year-old center, was acquired by Toronto during the 2022-23 season. He is one of the more underrated big men in the entire NBA, and Poeltl is once again enjoying a quality, albeit rather quiet season. Poeltl is currently averaging 16 points, 11.8 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.1 steals, and 1.3 blocks per game.</p><p>Dick, a 21-year-old who is in his second NBA season, has also played well. He is averaging 18.1 points, 3.1 rebounds, 2.2 assists, and 0.9 steals per outing.</p><p>The Raptors have struggled overall, but they have a number of talented players on the roster. The Thunder must play their best basketball on Thursday in Toronto. Still, Oklahoma City holds the best record in the Western Conference with their 16-5 mark.</p><p>As for the question of if Jakob Poeltl and Gradey Dick are playing tonight vs. the Raptors, the answer is maybe.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Raptors get Jakob Poeltl, Gradey Dick injury updates for Thunder game

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/raptors-news-fans-torn-after-jakob-poeltl-surprise-tanking-admission');   ga('set', 'title', 'Fans torn after Jakob Poeltl’s surprise Raptors’ tanking admission');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Raptors-news-Fans-torn-after-Jakob-Poeltls-surprise-tanking-admission.jpg"></figure><h1>Fans torn after Jakob Poeltl’s surprise Raptors’ tanking admission</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-10-01T09:31:02-07:00">October 1st, 9:31am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-10-01T09:31:02-07:00">October 1st, 9:31am</time><address><a>Malik Brown</a>Malik Brown is a multimedia reporter based in Atlanta who covers the Hawks and Dream for ClutchPoints. Malik has worked in entertainment and sports, and he specializes in the NBA and NFL.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/raptors-news-masai-ujiri-makes-rebuilding-admission-2024-25-season">Toronto Raptors</a> know the ultimate goal in the NBA is to win a championship and to do that, you have to win a lot of games and be a competitive team. There are some teams that are in a developmental process, which means growing young talent in the hopes of them blossoming and getting to the point of winning a lot of games. In that instance, there isn’t a lot of winning at the beginning, but teams don’t let their fans know that.</p><p>During Raptors Media Day, veteran center Jakob Poeltl had an <a href="https://x.com/ogchabzo/status/1840784094273405335" rel="noopener">interesting quote</a> about what direction the team is going in this season, and it left some people shocked.</p><p>“I think we all know we’re not going to go and attack the championship this year,” Poetlt said. “It makes no sense for us to try to win every single game as much as we can and sacrifice development.”</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">He can say that?😭 <a href="https://t.co/B3P8oalJax">pic.twitter.com/B3P8oalJax</a></p><p>— 𝙯𝙤 (@ogchabzo) <a href="https://twitter.com/ogchabzo/status/1840784094273405335?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 30, 2024</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Even though Poeltl may have been being honest, teams don’t usually come out and let the fans know that they’re not trying to win.</p><p>Many people on X, formerly Twitter, had some things to say about Poeltl’s comments, and they weren’t all positive.</p><p>“He getting shipped out anyway i’m not trippin,” one user said.</p><p>“Jakob dude you’re not supposed to say that part out loud,” another user said.</p><p>“I love pure honesty and am a raptors fan but man i aint wanna hear that s–t jakob let that one go,” another user said.</p><h2>How will the Raptors perform this year?</h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Jakob-Poeltl.jpg"><figcaption>John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>There’s no doubt that the Raptors are trying to head into a new direction with their team after what they did last season. They traded away some of their best players, Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby, and in return got some young talent. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/raptors-news-scottie-barnes-drops-pressure-truth-bomb-potential-270-million-contract-extension">Scottie Barnes is now the leader of the team</a>, and he has complimentary pieces like RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickly, and others to <a href="https://www.msn.com/en-ca/sports/nba/scottie-barnes-on-embracing-a-leadership-role-with-raptors/ar-AA1ruq6p" rel="noopener">help him</a>.</p><p>“Just trying to step into that next role of growing into that leader. You gotta just take steps and I feel like I’ve been taking the right steps this summer,” Barnes said. “I’m usually accustomed to being that leader by example. I go out there and play hard.”</p><p>The Raptors aren’t expected to be a top team this season, but they do have an exciting roster that looks like they’ll be competing every night. The most important thing is seeing how the young players develop over the course of the season, which will be a step in the right direction for the future of the team.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Fans torn after Jakob Poeltl’s surprise Raptors’ tanking admission

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/raptors-news-get-another-injury-blow-scottie-barnes-jakob-poeltl-surgery');   ga('set', 'title', 'Raptors get another injury blow after Scottie Barnes with Jakob Poeltl surgery');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Toronto-gets-another-injury-blow-after-Scottie-Barnes-with-Jakob-Poeltl-surgery.webp"></figure><h1>Raptors get another injury blow after Scottie Barnes with Jakob Poeltl surgery</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-03-05T20:41:43-08:00">March 5th, 8:41pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-03-05T20:41:43-08:00">March 5th, 8:41pm</time><address><a>Rexwell Villas</a>Rexwell Villas is a Communications Arts graduate from the University of Santo Tomas in the Philippines, and he claims to have JR Smith's conscience with his shot selection. He is an experienced sports writer covering a variety of sports, including the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, and college football. He has won a basketball, a baseball, and a football championship in fantasy all within a year.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>It is not looking so good at the moment for the Toronto Raptors. After winning three games in a row in late February, the Raps have <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/hornets-vs-raptors-prediction-odds-pick-how-to-watch-3-3-2024" rel="noopener">lost three of four outings</a>. Making it worse for the team are the injuries to Jakob Poeltl and Scottie Barnes. On Tuesday, it’s been reported that Poeltl is <a href="https://twitter.com/JLew1050/status/1765226713787552085" rel="noopener">out for likely a considerable period</a> after going under the knife to repair a hand injury.</p><p>“Jakob Poeltl underwent surgery to repair a torn ligament in the pinky finger of his left hand. He’s out indefinitely,” wrote Josh Lewenberg of TSN.</p><p>Poeltl suffered the injury during the Raptors’ 111-106 win at home over the Charlotte Hornets. He hurt his hand late in the first half, forcing Toronto to start Kelly Olynk at center position in the second half. The former Utah Utes star big man left the Charlotte game with eight points, two rebounds, and three assists in 15 minutes of duty on the floor.</p><p>Olynk can be expected to assume the starting center slot for the Raptors as long as Poeltl is sidelined. On the season, Poeltl is averaging 11.1 points, 8.6 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 1.5 blocks per game, while shooting 63.1 percent from the field. With Olynk likely to get increased minutes and a heavier workload, the Raptors could space the floor more than they usually do with Poeltl, who has not taken a 3-point attempt since the 2022-23 season.</p><p>With <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/raptors-news-scottie-barnes-out-indefinitely-with-painful-hand-fracture" rel="noopener">both Barnes and Poeltl out</a>, the Raptors’ backs are pressed harder against the wall, as they continue their pursuit of at least a spot in the Play-in Tournament.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Raptors get another injury blow after Scottie Barnes with Jakob Poeltl surgery

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/hawks-news-referees-admit-mistake-on-jakob-poeltl-no-call-that-sparked-quin-snyders-anger-ejection');   ga('set', 'title', 'Hawks: Referees admit mistake on Jakob Poeltl no-call that sparked Quin Snyder’s anger, ejection');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Hawks-Referees-admit-mistake-on-Jakob-Poeltl-no-call-that-sparked-Quin-Snyders-anger-ejection.webp"></figure><h1>Hawks: Referees admit mistake on Jakob Poeltl no-call that sparked Quin Snyder’s anger, ejection</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-02-23T21:33:35-08:00">February 23rd, 9:33pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-02-23T21:33:35-08:00">February 23rd, 9:33pm</time><address><a href="https://letterboxd.com/splooshpuhrty/films/by/your-rating/">Jedd Pagaduan</a>Jedd Pagaduan is a certified Clippers and Gunners fan, which means he's a very sports-traumatized individual. He now writes about sports instead as a form of therapy.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Friday night was a source of frustrations aplenty for the Atlanta Hawks. Not only did they suffer a close 123-121 loss against the Toronto Raptors, one sequence in the first half pushed head coach Quin Snyder’s buttons to the point of ejection. In the second quarter, Jakob Poeltl set a bone-crunching screen on Trae Young that looked like an offensive foul. The officials, however, swallowed their whistle. This then triggered Snyder to the point where the Hawks head coach <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/hawks-news-quin-snyder-goes-ballistic-on-referee-gets-ejected-vs-raptors">racked up two technical fouls</a> in rapid succession.</p><p>However, Snyder may have been valid in his anger. In fact, the referees wasted no time in proving the Hawks head coach right in his belief that Poeltl should have been called for an offensive foul. In the referees’ Pool Report following the Hawks’ defeat against the Raptors, crew chief Karl Lane admitted that <a href="https://twitter.com/KevinKeneely1/status/1761236010174668939" rel="noopener">there was illegal contact</a> from Poeltl to Young on the screen.</p><p>“During the time on the court, we felt that Jakob Poeltl got to a legal guarding position, but when we looked at it at halftime, we did notice that it was illegal leg-to-leg contact and there should have been a foul called,” Lane told reporters, via Kevin Keneely of University of Georgia.</p><p>Nonetheless, Karl Lane was firm in his stance that the Hawks head coach warranted an ejection with his reaction to the errant non-call.</p><p>“He continued to charge toward the official and continued to use profane language,” Lane answered in response to the question of why Quin Snyder received an early trip to the locker room.</p><p>This season has simply been full of <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/hawks-biggest-mistake-2024-nba-trade-deadline" rel="noopener">frustrations for the Hawks</a>; after putting up a good account of themselves in their first-round exit against the Boston Celtics in the 2023 NBA playoffs, which led many to believe that they’ll be in the running for a top-six finish in the Eastern Conference, they have fallen way short of expectations.</p><p>Thus, it becomes doubly infuriating when the seemingly small things during a ballgame, such as a missed offensive foul call, don’t go their way. Alas, the Hawks have to remain composed in the face of adversity.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Hawks: Referees admit mistake on Jakob Poeltl no-call that sparked Quin Snyder’s anger, ejection

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/raptors-news-masai-ujiris-bizarre-answer-jakob-poeltl-trade-possibly-mistake');   ga('set', 'title', 'Raptors: Masai Ujiri’s bizarre answer on Jakob Poeltl trade possibly being a ‘mistake’');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Masai-Ujiris-bizarre-answer-on-Jakob-Poeltl-trade-possibly-being-a-mistake_50.webp"></figure><h1>Raptors: Masai Ujiri’s bizarre answer on Jakob Poeltl trade possibly being a ‘mistake’</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-01-18T15:01:53-08:00">January 18th, 3:01pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-01-18T15:01:53-08:00">January 18th, 3:01pm</time><address><a>Mike Cruz</a>Mike Cruz is an editorial writer at ClutchPoints, primarily covering the NBA.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>In the wake of the Toronto Raptors <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/pacers-news-pascal-siakam-raptors-pelicans-three-team-trade">trading Pascal Siakam</a> to the Indiana Pacers, the trade that sent Jakob Poeltl back to Canada once again became a topic of discussion. Many Raptors fans stand on the belief that trading for Poeltl was a wrong move on the part of Raptors president Masai Ujiri. During a <a href="https://twitter.com/jlew1050/status/1748048705653981566?s=46&amp;t=5oeHqtarPi8uQzODS5QrLA">press conference</a> on Thursday, Ujiri gave a rather bizarre answer to address those claims.</p><p>“When you trade a 1st-round pick for a starting center in the NBA, in our business &amp; for us, it’s good – for now &amp; for the future,” Ujiri said, per Josh Lewenberg of TSN. “I’m not going to sit here &amp; cry over spilled milk. If it was a mistake, it was a mistake but it was good value for us”</p><p>In connection, Masai Ujiri set things straight as to why he chose to trade for <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/raptors-news-jakob-poeltl-ankle-sprain">Jakob Poeltl</a> last season. He said that he felt like last year’s group deserved the chance to see out the season. And he felt they needed a starting center like Poeltl to give the Raptors the best chance possible to compete.</p><p>On the flip side, plenty of Raps fans felt like the team needed to kickstart the rebuild last year. There were rumblings about potentially moving then-starting point guard Fred VanVleet at the deadline and Gary Trent Jr. However, instead of selling, the Raptors bought and acquired Poeltl from the Spurs and sent a 2024 1st round pick to San Antonio.</p><p>VanVleet wound up walking for nothing in free agency. Trent is still with the time, and Poeltl re-signed a four-year $78 million contract in the summer.</p><p>Fast-forward to the start of 2024, and the Raptors have finally kicked the tires on a rebuild and are welcoming a new chapter in Toronto basketball. But while the team is finally embracing this new era, there is a world where the Raptors could have gotten more value had they started the rebuild earlier.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Raptors: Masai Ujiri’s bizarre answer on Jakob Poeltl trade possibly being a ‘mistake’

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/raptors-news-jakob-poeltl-ankle-sprain');   ga('set', 'title', 'Raptors’ Jakob Poeltl out indefinitely due to left ankle sprain');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Raptors_news_Jakob_Poeltl_out_indefinitely_due_to_left_ankle_sprain.webp"></figure><h1>Raptors’ Jakob Poeltl out indefinitely due to left ankle sprain</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-01-09T12:19:14-08:00">January 9th, 12:19pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-01-09T12:19:14-08:00">January 9th, 12:19pm</time><address><a>Peter Sampson</a>Peter Sampson has been covering all things sports (with a focus on the Portland Trail Blazers) for more than a decade, most recently hosting "The Pulse with Peter Sampson" in Afternoon Drive for 750 The Game. Prior to that, he hosted an NBA wrap-up show that aired immediately at the conclusion of every Trail Blazers game. Peter had previous stops at Blazer's Edge and XRAY.FM - where his show "Blazer's Edge Radio" was named "Portland's Best Sports Radio" in the 2017 Willamette Week reader's poll. When he's not telling the stories of your favorite sports team, Peter can be found recording the next garage rock classic in his basement studio, whipping up an authentic Italian meal in the kitchen, or trying to figure out the appeal of Minecraft with his 9-year-old son in the living room.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Toronto Raptors big man Jakob Poeltl is out indefinitely with a left ankle sprain.</p><p>Poeltl suffered the injury in the third quarter of Sunday night’s win over the Golden State Warriors.</p><p>The Raptors will reevaluate Poeltl’s injury<a href="https://x.com/ShamsCharania/status/1744808801314951202?s=20" rel="noopener"> in two weeks</a>, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic: “Raptors say Jakob Poeltl will be out indefinitely with a left ankle sprain. He will be re-evaluated in two weeks.”</p><p>Poeltl is averaging 10.6 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks in just over 26 minutes per game for the Raptors. It’s been a tough year for Poeltl after <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/raptors-news-jakob-poeltl-four-year-80-million-contract-toronto-2023-free-agency" rel="noopener">signing a four-year deal</a> with Toronto this past summer. His points per game total is the lowest it’s been since 2020-21, when he was reserve for the San Antonio Spurs.</p><p>Jakob Poeltl was originally a lottery pick for the Raptors. The former Utah Utes center was selected ninth overall by Toronto in 2016. With the Raptors, Poeltl developed into an effective big man who can protect the rim and be a roll threat on the other end.</p><p>Poeltl was then packaged with DeMar DeRozan and sent to the Spurs in the fateful Kawhi Leonard trade. In San Antonio, Jakob Poeltl continued his development into an underrated big man in the league. The center worked on his offensive game while still continuing to be a menace on the defensive end and on the boards. Eventually, Poeltl was traded once again, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/raptors-news-trade-for-spurs-jakob-poeltl-in-blockbuster-ahead-of-deadline/" rel="noopener">ironically back to the Raptors.</a></p><p>Toronto will be forced to rely on Chris Boucher or Pascal Siakam at the center position until Poeltl or Christian Koloko are able to return.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Raptors’ Jakob Poeltl out indefinitely due to left ankle sprain

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/raptors-news-pascal-siakam-hilariously-calls-out-jakob-poeltl');   ga('set', 'title', '‘F**k you too’: Pascal Siakam hilariously calls out Raptors’ Jakob Poeltl');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Siakam-Poeltl.jpg"></figure><h1>‘F**k you too’: Pascal Siakam hilariously calls out Raptors’ Jakob Poeltl</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2023-08-04T16:32:21-07:00">August 4th, 4:32pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2023-08-04T16:32:21-07:00">August 4th, 4:32pm</time><address><a>David Yapkowitz</a>David is an NBA Associate Editor at ClutchPoints. He is based in Los Angeles and currently covers basketball at every level from NBA/WNBA to men/women college and boys/girls high school.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>When it came to NBA Free Agency this offseason, one of the Toronto Raptors <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/jakob-poeltl-grading-raptors-4-year-80-million-contract-in-2023-nba-free-agency" rel="noopener">main focuses</a> was re-signing Jakob Poeltl. They acquired Poeltl in a trade deadline deal with the San Antonio Spurs, five years after initially trading him to the Spurs in the deal that netted them Kawhi Leonard. There’s been much chatter as to what direction the Raptors were going to move in, and the Poeltl re-signing seems to signal that they want to <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/pascal-siakam-raptors-future-unclear-amid-trade-rumors" rel="noopener">keep this core together</a> rather than blow it up. While Jakob Poeltl signed the biggest contract of his career, it’s seemingly made him <a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPoints/status/1687596593133039617?s=20" rel="noopener">act different</a> if you believe his Raptors teammate Pascal Siakam who’s apparently been having a hard time reaching him this summer.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">"You talk to Jakob [Poeltl]?"</p><p>Pascal Siakam:  "Well he says he's in Greece but I told him before… 'I cant be there.' Alright bro, f*ck you too…. Jakob signed a [Raptors 4-year, $80 million] deal and changed on me. He heard I'm coming to Salzburg and he going on vacation. I… <a href="https://t.co/8kGU5nmUiq">pic.twitter.com/8kGU5nmUiq</a></p><p>— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) <a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPoints/status/1687596593133039617?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 4, 2023</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>“Well he says he’s in Greece. . .he’s like ‘oh I can’t be there.’ Alright bro, f**k you too,” Siakam joked. “He don’t wanna hang out with his boy, man. Jakob signed a deal and changed on me. He heard I’m coming to Salzburg and he’s going on vacation. I thought we were friends, I guess not. That’s what happens when you make some bread. Sign that new deal and don’t know nobody, man.”</p><p>While Pascal Siakam’s jests are all in good fun, Jakob Poeltl’s new NBA Free Agency contract with the Raptors will pay him $80 million over four years. This past season after the trade deadline, Poeltl suited up in 26 games in his return to the Raptors. He averaged 13.1 points per game, 9.1 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 1.2 steals and 1.3 blocked shots with splits of 65.2 percent shooting from the field and 56.9 percent shooting from the free-throw line.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

‘F**k you too’: Pascal Siakam hilariously calls out Raptors’ Jakob Poeltl

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/raptors-news-jakob-poeltl-fred-vanvleets-message-joining-rockets');   ga('set', 'title', 'Raptors’ Jakob Poeltl reveals Fred VanVleet’s message before joining Rockets');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Raptors-news-Jakob-Poeltl-reveals-Fred-VanVleet_s-message-before-joining-Rockets.jpg"></figure><h1>Raptors’ Jakob Poeltl reveals Fred VanVleet’s message before joining Rockets</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2023-07-06T12:20:14-07:00">July 6th, 12:20pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2023-07-06T14:26:33-07:00">July 6th, 2:26pm</time><address><a href="https://joeymistretta.wordpress.com">Joey Mistretta</a>Joey Mistretta is a sports writer/editor who covers multiple sports. Notably, Mistretta covers baseball, basketball, and football. He is originally from a small town in Southern California. Mistretta graduated college with a degree in broadcast journalism from Biola University.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/raptors-news-jakob-poeltl-four-year-80-million-contract-toronto-2023-free-agency" rel="noopener">Jakob Poeltl agreed to sign</a> with the Toronto Raptors in NBA Free Agency, inking a four-year, $80 million contract to stay in Toronto. However, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/rockets-news-fred-vanvleet-free-agency-3-year-130-million-contract" rel="noopener">Fred VanVleet left Toronto</a> and agreed to a three-year, $130 million deal with the Houston Rockets. Poeltl commented on VanVleet’s departure and <a href="https://twitter.com/JLew1050/status/1677016595967664132" rel="noopener">revealed how he feels</a> about it after re-signing with Toronto, per Raptors beat reporter Josh Lewenberg.</p><p>“Poeltl said he &amp; FVV spoke during free agency, told me that Fred was still unsure where he was headed when Jak made his decision to return to Toronto. ‘Obviously, I would’ve liked to keep playing with Fred… but we still have a really talented team… I’m not too worried about it,'” Lewenberg shared on Twitter.</p><h2><b>VanVleet’s Raptors departure</b></h2><p>Toronto didn’t have the best 2022-23 season following previous success in past years. Although some reports hinted that VanVleet could ultimately return to the Raptors, he ended up leaving the team. One has to wonder if Poeltl would have re-signed with the Raptors if he knew with absolute certainty that VanVleet was going to leave.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/siegels-scoop-fred-vanvleet-raptors-rockets-decision-damian-lillard-blazers-trade" rel="noopener">VanVleet had interest in a reunion</a> with the Raptors, league sources told ClutchPoints’ Brett Siegel. The Rockets’ massive offer ended up luring the talented guard to Houston, though. Some fans claimed Houston overpaid for VanVleet, but the fact is that the Rockets added a key veteran who will help with the development of Houston’s young players.</p><p>Meanwhile, Jakob Poeltl will try to help the Raptors compete during the 2023-24 campaign, something that will be challenging given the immense amount of talent in the Eastern Conference.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Raptors’ Jakob Poeltl reveals Fred VanVleet’s message before joining Rockets

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/jakob-poeltl-grading-raptors-4-year-80-million-contract-in-2023-nba-free-agency/');   ga('set', 'title', 'Grading Jakob Poeltl’s 4-year, $80 million Raptors contract in 2023 NBA free agency');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Jakob-Poeltl-Raptors-free-agency-contract-Masai-Ujiri.jpg"></figure><h1>Grading Jakob Poeltl’s 4-year, $80 million Raptors contract in 2023 NBA free agency</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2023-07-03T07:47:49-07:00">July 3rd, 7:47am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2023-07-03T07:47:49-07:00">July 3rd, 7:47am</time><address><a href="https://letterboxd.com/splooshpuhrty/films/by/your-rating/">Jedd Pagaduan</a>Loves Arsenal and the Los Angeles Clippers, so his loyalty can never be questioned. This guy has been through enough sports trauma for one lifetime.(has written about sports for about the past decade, covering live sports for his beloved university)</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>When a middling team gives up a first-round pick in a midseason trade for a player whose contract will be expiring in a few months’ time, re-signing them in free agency becomes a must. And that’s exactly what the Toronto Raptors did when they agreed with Jakob Poeltl on a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/raptors-news-jakob-poeltl-four-year-80-million-contract-toronto-2023-free-agency" rel="noopener">four-year, $80 million deal</a> that should keep the 27-year old rim protector in the North until the 2026-27 season.</p><p>The Raptors roster was crying out loud for a legitimate rim protector for the majority of the 2022-23 season. Before Poeltl arrived, the Raptors had to play Pascal Siakam, whose preferred position is the four, at center, oftentimes making it difficult for the team to deter would-be scorers at the rim and secure the glass. Upon the Austrian center’s arrival, the Raptors began looking like a more functional team, <a href="https://www.statmuse.com/nba/ask?q=raptors+22-23+record+with+jakob+poeltl" rel="noopener">going 15-11</a> to make a late charge for a play-in tournament spot, only to lose to the Chicago Bulls.</p><p>But given the direction the Raptors franchise appears to be heading towards, is keeping Jakob Poeltl on a huge long-term deal the best course of action?</p><p>Here are grades for both Poeltl and the Raptors in light of their agreement on a four-year, $80 million deal.</p><h2>Raptors’ grade: B+</h2><p>The Raptors aren’t really in a position to be losing first-round picks, especially one that’s just top-six protected, for nothing. But in the months leading up to free agency, that was certainly a possibility. Some analysts thought that it was possible for Jakob Poeltl to spurn the Raptors, instead <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-rumors-2-threats-steal-jakob-poeltl-away-raptors-free-agency" rel="noopener">rejoining the San Antonio Spurs</a> in what could have been an out-and-out heist for a team that was already one of the biggest winners of the offseason.</p><p>But thankfully for the Raptors, they very quickly came to terms on an agreement with Poeltl, preventing the franchise that had just lost Fred VanVleet to lose yet another quality player for nothing in free agency. With that context in mind, it’s hard to be too tough on the Raptors, even if their other moves in free agency weren’t exactly the most ideal allocation of funds.</p><p>However, is paying $20 million a year for Jakob Poeltl fair, relative to what other similar players make?</p><p>The center market this offseason wasn’t exactly teeming with talent, so Poeltl certainly stood out as one of the best options for teams looking to fortify their frontcourt, perhaps driving his price up. But a price tag of $20 million per year certainly seems like fair market value for the Austrian center. For instance, Clint Capela, a very similar player, will be <a href="https://www.spotrac.com/nba/atlanta-hawks/clint-capela-15377/" rel="noopener">making around $45 million</a> for the next two seasons with the Atlanta Hawks.</p><p>Meanwhile, it’s not particularly fair to compare Jakob Poeltl’s value to that of Mitchell Robinson’s or Robert Williams III’s. Robinson and Williams are making around $15 million and $12 million on average on their current deals, which are definitely bargains relative to Poeltl’s contract, but those are their rookie-deal extensions, while Poeltl is in the third round of his contract negotiations.</p><p>All in all, for what Poeltl provides — 13 points, nine rebounds, and around 1.5 blocks per game — an average of $20 million for four years isn’t the worst deal in the world. But still, it’s fair to wonder just how far a team that’s paying a center who’s unable to space the floor that kind of money could go in the playoffs, especially when plodding rim protectors without a sophisticated post game can be played off the court by versatile small-ball lineups.</p><p>But that problem isn’t yet relevant for the Raptors, a team that appears hell-bent on trying to run it back, but looks likelier than ever to embark on a rebuild.</p><h2>Jakob Poeltl’s grade: A</h2><p>There wasn’t much noise regarding Jakob Poeltl’s foray into free agency. But at the end of the day, he lands on a team that may have no other choice but to play him heavy minutes, therefore bolstering his value. And at a price tag of around $20 million per year, his contract won’t exactly be too off-putting for teams looking to bolster their rim protection, so he could very well land on a contending team if the Raptors’ season goes south.</p><p>The departure of Fred VanVleet may hurt Poeltl a bit, given how well those two played off of each other to end the 2022-23 season. But the Raptors should still have plenty of players capable of putting Poeltl in a position to succeed, and the Raptors’ litany of sturdy perimeter defenders should help the 27-year old big man have an easier time anchoring the defense.</p><p>Jakob Poeltl should have a strong 2023-24 season ahead of him, making him well worth the contract he signed.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Grading Jakob Poeltl’s 4-year, $80 million Raptors contract in 2023 NBA free agency

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/raptors-news-jakob-poeltl-four-year-80-million-contract-toronto-2023-free-agency/');   ga('set', 'title', 'Jakob Poeltl agrees to 4-year, $80 million contract with Raptors in 2023 NBA free agency');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/10-best-centers-ranked-3.jpg"></figure><h1>Jakob Poeltl agrees to 4-year, $80 million contract with Raptors in 2023 NBA free agency</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2023-06-30T16:02:15-07:00">June 30th, 4:02pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2023-06-30T16:03:09-07:00">June 30th, 4:03pm</time><address><a>Gerard Angelo Samillano</a>Gerard has been a writer for ClutchPoints for around a year now, with his focus primarily on the NBA, NFL, and Gaming. When he's not writing for CP, Gerard can often be seen playing VALORANT or playing pick-up basketball. He's also working on his BS Mathematics degree.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The big man market during the 2023 free agency market is rather thin. Now, one of the few <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/raptors-news-jakob-poeltl-joins-klay-thompson-on-3-man-shortlist-with-absurd-nba-record-stat-line/" rel="noopener">top big men</a> in the market has found a new home. Jakob Poeltl has agreed to a four-year, $80 million contract extension to stay with the Toronto Raptors,<a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPointsApp/status/1674914021651390467?s=20" rel="noopener"> as reported</a> by Woj.</p><h2>Jakob Poeltl Player Background</h2><p>Jakob Poeltl was one of the few lottery picks the Raptors have made during the Masai Ujiri era. The former Utah Utes center was selected ninth overall by Toronto in 2016. In Toronto, Poeltl developed into an effective big man who can protect the rim and be a roll threat on the other end. He was part of Toronto’s iconic Bench Mob that made waves back in 2018.</p><p>Poeltl was then packaged with DeMar DeRozan and sent to the Spurs in the fateful Kawhi Leonard trade. In San Antonio, Jakob Poeltl continued his development into an underrated big man in the league. The center worked on his post game while still continuing to be a menace on the defensive end and on the boards. Eventually, Poeltl was traded once again, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/raptors-news-trade-for-spurs-jakob-poeltl-in-blockbuster-ahead-of-deadline/" rel="noopener">ironically back to the Raptors.</a></p><p>Upon his return to Toronto, Poeltl immediately brought a sense of stability to the team. The Raptors always lacked a reliable center who can focus solely on defense. With Poeltl back in the fold, Toronto was able to sneak their way into the Play-In Tournament.</p><h2>Jakob Poeltl Fit With Raptors</h2><p>The Raptors gets one of the most underrated players in the league in Jakob Poeltl. His best qualities are his rim protection (1.3 blocks per game) and his finishing around rim. In San Antonio, Poeltl was also able to develop a small passing game. While it’s not on Nikola Jokic’s level, it’s enough to keep defenses honest.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Jakob Poeltl agrees to 4-year, $80 million contract with Raptors in 2023 NBA free agency

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba-rumors-2-threats-steal-jakob-poeltl-away-raptors-free-agency/');   ga('set', 'title', 'RUMOR: 2 threats to steal Jakob Poeltl away from Raptors in free agency');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/NBA_rumors_2_threats_to_steal_Jakob_Poeltl_away_from_Raptors_in_free_agency.jpg"></figure><h1>RUMOR: 2 threats to steal Jakob Poeltl away from Raptors in free agency</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2023-06-29T15:43:00-07:00">June 29th, 3:43pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2023-06-29T15:43:00-07:00">June 29th, 3:43pm</time><address><a>Quenton Albertie</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-rumors-the-raptors-conundrum-fred-vanvleet-jakob-poeltl-free-agency" rel="noopener">Toronto Raptors</a> could have real competition for Jakob Poeltl this offseason, with the San Antonio Spurs and the Houston Rockets emerging as threats to sign the Austrian pivot.</p><p>In the case of the Spurs, bringing Poeltl back to play alongside Victor Wembanyama “<a href="https://hoopshype.com/lists/nba-rumors-james-harden-pascal-siakam-fred-vanvleet-jakob-poeltl-bruce-brown-donte-divincenzo-lakers-rockets/" rel="noopener">is very appealing</a>” for San Antonio, according to HoopsHype insider Michael Scotto.</p><p>In the case of the Rockets, despite Brook Lopez being a well-documented free agent target for Houston on a short-term deal with an elevated salary, “his preference has always been to remain” with the Milwaukee Bucks “should the offers be comparable in the high teens to $20 million average annual salary range.”</p><p>Back to Poeltl, given his reaction to playing a more competitive brand of basketball after spending years with a rebuilding Spurs team, there’s an expectation for winning to be a factor in his decision as well.</p><p>Subsequently, interest from the Spurs and Rockets could ultimately amount to little more than speculation. With that in mind, the Raptors would have made a shrewd move in their refusal to trade away Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby. It also doesn’t hurt they managed to retain 3-and-D wing Gary Trent Jr., who could have entered free agency alongside <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/grading-espns-hypothetical-3-way-trade-with-raptors-wizards-that-sends-fred-vanvleet-to-lakers" rel="noopener">Fred VanVleet</a> (who the Raptors have interest in re-signing).</p><p>All things considered; Toronto has the most playoff-ready team of the three.</p><p>However, given the promise of Houston’s young core and their ability to sign an All-Star-level player in free agency, that perspective could change at the drop of a hat.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

RUMOR: 2 threats to steal Jakob Poeltl away from Raptors in free agency

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba-rumors-the-raptors-conundrum-fred-vanvleet-jakob-poeltl-free-agency');   ga('set', 'title', 'RUMOR: The Raptors’ conundrum with Fred VanVleet, Jakob Poeltl in free agency');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/NBA-rumors-The-Raptors_-conundrum-with-Fred-VanVleet-Jakob-Poeltl-in-free-agency.jpg"></figure><h1>RUMOR: The Raptors’ conundrum with Fred VanVleet, Jakob Poeltl in free agency</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2023-06-27T06:19:18-07:00">June 27th, 6:19am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2023-06-27T06:19:18-07:00">June 27th, 6:19am</time><address><a>Ryan Bologna</a>Ryan Bologna is an author at ClutchPoints. He studied journalism and communication at UConn.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Toronto Raptors have plenty of questions to answer this offseason, and most of them revolve around impending free agents Fred VanVleet and Jakob Poeltl. The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/raptors-news-drake-welcomes-gradey-dick-in-hilarious-but-nsfw-fashion" rel="noopener">Raptors</a> are reportedly <a href="https://marcstein.substack.com/p/who-do-the-rockets-really-want-in?utm_source=post-email-title&amp;publication_id=392205&amp;post_id=131198553&amp;isFreemail=false&amp;utm_medium=email" rel="noopener">in a conundrum</a> when it comes to signing them, according to Marc Stein.</p><p>Re-signing Fred VanVleet would make it harder to afford the luxury-tax ramifications of re-signing Jakob Poeltl, and the same goes for the other way around, according to Stein.</p><p>Stein says that two sources expect the Raptors to re-sign Poeltl for about $20 million annually. It will be worth monitoring whether or not that happens as the June 30 opening to NBA free agency approaches this week.</p><p>The Raptors might have to prioritize one player over another based on the financial situation that they are in. It will be intriguing to see what they do.</p><p>There are some who believe that the Raptors could part with players like OG Anunoby or Pascal Siakam. It seems that Toronto is less likely to trade Pascal Siakam, and wants to keep the two-time All-Star in the fold. OG Anunoby was floated in trade rumors ahead of the NBA Trade Deadline during the season. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/raptors-news-og-anunoby-klutch-sports-decision-trade-buzz-contract-talk" rel="noopener">Anunoby recently switched agents</a>, leaving Klutch Sports. Teams like the Knicks have reportedly been interested in the past. It will be interesting to see if he does move this offseason.</p><p>As free agency approaches, the Raptors have many questions to figure out. The Raptors might not be mentioned with the biggest names in free agency this offseason, but there are significant things to watch for as free agency approaches.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

RUMOR: The Raptors’ conundrum with Fred VanVleet, Jakob Poeltl in free agency

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba-rumors-jakob-poeltls-free-agency-gets-eye-opening-update-amid-raptors-uncertain-future');   ga('set', 'title', 'RUMOR: Jakob Poeltl’s free agency gets eye-opening update amid Raptors’ uncertain future');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Raptors-Jakob-Poeltl-Masai-Ujiri.jpeg"></figure><h1>RUMOR: Jakob Poeltl’s free agency gets eye-opening update amid Raptors’ uncertain future</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2023-06-20T07:32:37-07:00">June 20th, 7:32am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2023-06-20T07:32:37-07:00">June 20th, 7:32am</time><address><a>Sam DiGiovanni</a>Sam DiGiovanni started at ClutchPoints as an associate editor in 2021 and became the site's Philadelphia 76ers beat reporter ahead of the 2022-23 season. He graduated from Marist College in May of 2022 and has written for TheKnicksWall.com and CenterFieldMarist.com in the past.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Toronto Raptors have a lot to deal with in the 2023 NBA offseason. The roster for new head coach Darko Rajakovic may not be super different but it will need a lot of work in order to be playoff-caliber again.</p><p>While Fred VanVleet’s free agency <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-rumors-fred-vanvleet-eye-opening-asking-price-free-agency" rel="noopener">looms large over the team</a>, there is also that of Jakob Poeltl, who was acquired in a midseason trade. The Raptors <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/insider/insider/story/_/id/37873455/projecting-all-58-picks" rel="noopener">may lose Poeltl in free agency</a>, according to Jonathan Givony of ESPN.</p><p>Givony writes that “the amount of activity coming out of the Toronto front office makes it difficult to project what they will do. It’s also not clear whether they will be able to meet the financial demands of center Jakob Poeltl in free agency, who prefers not to be in a rebuilding situation next season, sources told ESPN.”</p><p>In his second stint with the Raptors, which began at the trade deadline after he was re-acquired from the San Antonio Spurs, Poeltl averaged 13.1 points, 9.1 rebounds and 2.2 assists while shooting 65.2 percent from the field. Toronto gave up Khem Birch, two of their own second-round picks (in 2023 and 2025) and their own 2024 first-round pick that is only protected through the top six.</p><p>Losing Poeltl in free agency would be an unmitigated disaster for the Raptors. Missing the playoffs after giving up a first-rounder for Poeltl is bad enough. To see him sign elsewhere, even if they can salvage a sign-and-trade, would be a massive failure that just about ensures they will lose their pick.</p><p>The Raptors don’t sound like a team willing to be bad enough to be in the bottom six in the NBA standings next season. It would require them to trade away all of their key veterans, which they are <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-rumors-raptors-true-feelings-fred-vanvleet-pascal-siakam" rel="noopener">not reportedly interested in doing</a>. Although Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby seem to have lots of interest, they don’t want to blow it up. Until they do that, there will very likely be seven teams worse than them, which would convey the pick to San Antonio.</p><p>If it doesn’t come down to the price of a new deal, the Raptors could lose Poeltl if he finds a spot on a better team. Toronto is in a big-time conundrum as the offseason begins to ramp up.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

2024-25 SEASON STATS
PTS	REB	AST	BLK	STL
15.5	11.0	2.7	1.2	1.1

2024-25 SEASON STATS
PTS	REB	AST	BLK	STL
15.5	11.0	2.7	1.2	1.1

Jakob Poeltl news

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