<!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/toronto-raptors/raptors-news-darko-rajakovic-admits-jakob-poeltl-is-not-himself-yet-amid-recovery');   ga('set', 'title', 'Raptors’ Darko Rajakovic admits Jakob Poeltl is ‘not himself yet’ amid recovery');   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/2025/12/Raptors-center-Jakob-Poeltl-19-drives-to-the-basket.jpg"><figcaption>© Kevin Sousa-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Raptors’ Darko Rajakovic admits Jakob Poeltl is ‘not himself yet’ amid recovery</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-12-09T23:25:35-08:00">December 9th, 11:25pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-12-09T23:25:35-08:00">December 9th, 11:25pm</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>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/toronto-raptors/raptors-news-darko-rajakovic-jakob-poeltl-recapture-rhythm">Toronto Raptors are being peppered with allegations of fraudulence</a> amid their rough stretch following a torrid start to the 2025-26 season. On Tuesday night, the Raptors bowed out of NBA Cup contention after suffering a 117-101 loss to the New York Knicks in the quarterfinals of the competition. This was their fourth defeat in a row, and they are now 15-11 on the season.</p><p>Of course, it’s important to note that the Raptors have been experiencing some injury troubles as of late. They were <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/toronto-raptors/raptors-news-immanuel-quickley-added-nba-cup-injury-report-vs-knicks">without Immanuel Quickley on Tuesday night</a> against the Knicks in addition to the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/toronto-raptors/raptors-news-rj-barrett-miss-nba-cup-game-knicks-knee-injection">absence of RJ Barrett</a>, who’s been absent for the past nine games. But what shouldn’t go unnoticed is how Jakob Poeltl has been battling back injury issues all season long, which has required Toronto to rest him for one game of back-to-back sets.</p><p>Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic pointed out that Poeltl <a href="https://twitter.com/OmerOsman200/status/1998621031330725959?s=20" rel="noopener">isn’t quite 100 percent</a> yet and it will take some time before he is.</p><p>“He definitely does not have rhythm. He’s not himself yet,” Rajakovic said following the Raptors’ loss to the Knicks. “Hopefully the next couple of days are going to allow him and everybody on the team to bounce back and recover.”</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Darko on Jakob Pöltl:</p><p>“He definitely does not have rhythm. He’s not himself yet.”</p><p>“Hopefully the next couple of days are going to allow him and everybody on the team to bounce back and recover.”</p><p>“We’ll have some really good practices coming, and hopefully that gives us some… <a href="https://t.co/vv9vrotjl3">https://t.co/vv9vrotjl3</a> <a href="https://t.co/JGPWmmgVjC">pic.twitter.com/JGPWmmgVjC</a></p><p>— Omer Osman (@OmerOsman200) <a href="https://twitter.com/OmerOsman200/status/1998621031330725959?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 10, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><h2><b>Raptors’ young guys have to step up</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/IMG_0347.jpeg"><figcaption>David Leong-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Brandon Ingram tried his best to carry the Raptors on Tuesday night, scoring 31 points on the night, but he did not have much help in their blowout loss to the Knicks. With Barrett and Quickley out, the Raptors did not have much in the way of perimeter shot-creation, and that became their undoing.</p><p>The Raptors, however, have some players who could step up. Jamal Shead performed admirably in a spot start for Quickley, but the likes of Ja’Kobe Walter, Gradey Dick, and Ochai Agbaji have to be better in providing support for Ingram and Scottie Barnes.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Raptors’ Darko Rajakovic admits Jakob Poeltl is ‘not himself yet’ amid recovery

<!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/toronto-raptors/raptors-news-darko-rajakovic-jakob-poeltl-recapture-rhythm');   ga('set', 'title', 'Raptors’ Darko Rajakovic breaks down how Jakob Poeltl can recapture rhythm');   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/2025/12/Darko-Rajakovic.jpg"><figcaption>John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Raptors’ Darko Rajakovic breaks down how Jakob Poeltl can recapture rhythm</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-12-09T22:24:11-08:00">December 9th, 10:24pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-12-09T22:24:11-08:00">December 9th, 10:24pm</time><address><a>Troy Finnegan</a>Troy Finnegan is a Senior Editor, NFL and NCAA Sports Lead at ClutchPoints. He graduated from the University of Colorado Boulder in 2023 with a degree in journalism and minors in communications and sports media, as well as a critical sports studies certificate. He has had a passion for sports his entire life, and enjoys covering and writing about all sports.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Toronto Raptors have been one of the biggest surprises in the NBA so far this season, but they ran into an issue of class on Tuesday night. Despite running the table in group play and earning a home game in the NBA Cup quarterfinals, the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/new-york-knicks/knicks-news-karl-anthony-towns-denies-scottie-barnes-textbook-block">Raptors were blown out by the New York Knicks 117-101</a> as New York advanced to the semifinals in Las Vegas.</p><p>Toronto lacked impactful scoring from any one player in this game, including center Jakob Poeltl. The veteran big man scored efficiently, but got just seven shots up on his way to 10 points in 25 minutes.</p><p>When Poeltl is involved, it gives the Toronto offense an easy button that can help take some of the pressure off of some of the perimeter players. After the loss, Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic pinpointed some ways that Poeltl can stay involved <a href="https://x.com/OmerOsman200/status/1998623638325547454" rel="noopener">without relying on the ball handlers</a> to get him the ball.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Darko on how Jak can regain his rhythm:</p><p>“I don’t think it’s a question of touching the ball more necessarily. It’s the rhythm to get a rebound, it’s the rhythm to not turn the ball over in transition.”</p><p>“The only way how you get through that is through work and by playing… <a href="https://t.co/cUMXNtWC4l">https://t.co/cUMXNtWC4l</a> <a href="https://t.co/kkiNeZYSrL">pic.twitter.com/kkiNeZYSrL</a></p><p>— Omer Osman (@OmerOsman200) <a href="https://twitter.com/OmerOsman200/status/1998623638325547454?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 10, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>“I don’t think it’s a question of touching the ball more necessarily,” Rajakovic said. “It’s the rhythm to get a rebound, it’s the rhythm to not turn the ball over in transition. … The only way how you get through that is through work and by playing. He needs to play through some of those mistakes. I think he’s going to get back to being himself.”</p><p>Brandon Ingram led the Raptors with 31 points, nit no other Raptor hit the 20-point mark, which has been somewhat of a common theme in the games where Toronto has struggled to score. Against a Knicks team with a lot of talented individual defenders, you saw that become a challenge throughout the night.</p><p>On the other side, all five Knicks starters finished in double figures while Jordan Clarkson added 12 off the bench. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/new-york-knicks/knicks-news-jalen-brunson-response-vegas-gambling-question">Jalen Brunson led all scorers with 35 points</a> and the Knicks are moving on in large part because of his efforts.</p><p>While it’s certainly disappointing for the Raptors not to make it to Las Vegas, the NBA Cup and this season so far as a whole are still very promising for Toronto. At the moment, the Raptors are 13-11 and in fifth place in the Eastern Conference. They look like a team that will be contending for a playoff spot for the rest of the season, and games like Tuesday’s can be a valuable learning experience for a young team getting its feet wet in a crowded conference.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Raptors’ Darko Rajakovic breaks down how Jakob Poeltl can recapture rhythm

<!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/toronto-raptors/grading-jakob-poeltls-104-million-raptors-contract-extension');   ga('set', 'title', 'Grading Jakob Poeltl’s $104 million Raptors contract extension');   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/2025/07/Grading-Jakob-Poeltls-104-million-Raptors-contract-extension.jpg"></figure><h1>Grading Jakob Poeltl’s $104 million Raptors contract extension</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-07-03T22:06:58-07:00">July 3rd, 10:06pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-07-03T22:06:58-07:00">July 3rd, 10:06pm</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">Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Toronto Raptors were much more competitive than their 50-win 2024-25 season would indicate. They would keep games close even against the best teams in the league, giving way to what some would call “ethical tanking”. In the end, they were rewarded with <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/toronto-raptors/raptors-news-colin-murray-boyles-viral-moment-no-9-pick">promising prospect Collin Murray-Boyles for their troubles</a> — adding another quality young player to the Raptors’ growing core.</p><p>It appears as though the Raptors will be gunning for a playoff spot in the wide-open Eastern Conference in 2025, and their moves over the past year or so certainly suggest this inclination. They traded for Brandon Ingram in a buy-low move with the New Orleans Pelicans, and in the early goings of free agency, they agreed with <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/toronto-raptors/raptors-news-toronto-jakob-poeltl-104-million-contract-extension">Jakob Poeltl on a new contract</a> that’s set to pay him $104 million from the 2026-27 campaign until 2029-30, with Toronto tacking on three additional years worth around $84 million to keep Poeltl for the long haul.</p><p>Considering the going rate for players of Poeltl’s caliber, did the Raptors overpay? Did they even need to pony up the huge sum of money to keep Poeltl when he had a player option worth $19 million for the 2026-27 season anyway?</p><h2><b>Did the Raptors jump the gun with Jakob Poeltl extension?</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/20250320_tbs_hb4_386.jpg"><figcaption>John Hefti-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Make no mistake about it, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/toronto-raptors/raptors-news-player-honest-toronto-tanking">Poeltl was quite impressive when he was active for the Raptors</a> this past season. He put up career-best stats of 14.5 points and 9.6 rebounds per contest, and he may have averaged a double-double if he was allowed by the Raptors to actually play his usual number of minutes instead of being held out of games to fight for better lottery odds.</p><p>While Toronto was not a good team with or without Poeltl, the 29-year-old center definitely made the team better. The Raptors were over six points better whenever Poeltl was on the court, according to PBP Stats, and that net rating is <a href="https://www.pbpstats.com/wowy-combos/nba?TeamId=1610612761&amp;Season=2024-25&amp;SeasonType=Regular%2BSeason&amp;PlayerIds=1627751" rel="noopener">nothing to scoff at</a>. He is a defensive anchor, strong glass cleaner, and is fairly agile on the perimeter, which means he isn’t completely lost when switched out to a perimeter player.</p><p>Poeltl has also made plenty of strides as a playmaker, doing his job as a handoff machine to give the Raptors’ ballhandlers space to work with. There’s a reason why many contending teams have sought Poeltl’s services from the Raptors ever since they acquired him from the San Antonio Spurs in 2023.</p><p>The salary cap is rising fast, as it can increase up to a maximum of 10 percent from the previous year (this was what happened for this offseason). So by the time Poeltl’s exorbitant extension kicks in, it will take up a less portion of the team’s salary cap. Even then, the Raptors appear to have overpaid to keep him around; Poeltl will be 32 when he begins to make around $26 million a year, and in the final year of his contract (when he’ll be 34), he’ll be making around $30 million per year.</p><p>The Raptors could argue that this is <a href="https://www.spotrac.com/nba/rankings/player/_/year/2025/position/c/sort/cap_total" rel="noopener">the going rate</a> for players of Poeltl’s caliber these days. Isaiah Hartenstein, notably, is set to make $28.5 million for this upcoming season, with a player option worth the same dollar amount for the 2026-27 campaign. Nicolas Claxton is making around $25 million this season, although his salary is front-loaded, which means that he’ll be making progressively less in the final two years of his deal.</p><p>The $104 million the Raptors signed Poeltl for is a similar amount for what the Milwaukee Bucks ended up snagging Myles Turner away from the Indiana Pacers for ($107 million). Even Naz Reid signed for a similar amount of money per year ($25 million average annual value across five years).</p><p>But unlike those players, Poeltl didn’t even reach free agency. The Raptors ended up outbidding themselves when a similar amount of money could have gotten a deal done in 2026, when Poeltl could have reached free agency by declining his player option.</p><p>Poeltl would’ve been perhaps the second-best or best center in the <a href="https://www.spotrac.com/nba/free-agents/_/year/2026/position/c" rel="noopener">unrestricted free-agent market</a> had he actually reached free agency in 2026. (Hartenstein could be a free agent as well, and it’s a toss-up as to who’s a better player between those two.)</p><p>Even then, it’s not like NBA teams are going to pay significantly more than what it required the Raptors to pony up to keep Poeltl, especially when he doesn’t provide any floor-spacing utility and would, most likely, be deployed situationally anyway in the hypothetical universe where the Raptors make it deep into the playoffs.</p><p>This contract extension, while a fair amount to keep Poeltl around, wasn’t quite necessary for the Raptors to offer yet. Perhaps they’re looking to protect the asset, but there’s a good chance they could be stuck with that contract for the next few years.</p><p><b>Grade: C+</b></p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Grading Jakob Poeltl’s $104 million Raptors contract extension

<!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/boston-celtics/celtics-news-myles-turner-jakob-poeltl-moves-boston');   ga('set', 'title', 'What Myles Turner, Jakob Poeltl moves mean for Celtics');   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/2025/07/Jakob-Poeltl-Jayson-Tatum-and-Derrick-White.jpg"><figcaption>John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>What Myles Turner, Jakob Poeltl moves mean for Celtics</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-07-01T17:35:08-07:00">July 1st, 5:35pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-07-01T17:35:58-07:00">July 1st, 5:35pm</time><address><a>Daniel Donabedian</a>Daniel Donabedian is a beat reporter for ClutchPoints covering the Boston Celtics. He's also covered Villanova men's basketball and Big East basketball, building a strong reputation in the northeast.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Boston Celtics</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The big man market was active on Tuesday, but the Boston Celtics couldn’t afford to join in on the center scramble. Instead, they had to watch the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/milwaukee-bucks/grading-myles-turners-107-million-bucks-contract-2025-nba-free-agency">Milwaukee Bucks land former Indiana Pacers center Myles Turner</a> and witness the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/toronto-raptors/raptors-news-toronto-jakob-poeltl-104-million-contract-extension">Toronto Raptors re-sign Austrian 7-footer Jakob Poeltl</a>.</p><p>It’s no secret that the Celtics need help at the five spot after <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/boston-celtics/celtics-news-kristaps-porzingis-luke-kornet-securing-spurs-bag">losing centers Kristaps Porzingis and Luke Kornet</a> this offseason. However, due to the financial restrictions of the CBA and the looming second apron, they can’t make a huge splash in free agency.</p><p>Turner and Poeltl’s new contracts highlight that dilemma, as they both agreed to four-year offers for $107 and $104 million, respectively. At the moment, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/boston-celtics/celtics-news-luke-kornet-luka-garza-moves-highlight-bostons-new-cap-reality">the Celtics simply can’t compete with that kind of money</a>.</p><p>A large amount of their funds are tied up in hefty deals belonging to stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. And even though Boston has tried to shed a ton of salary to start the 2025 offseason, it still finds itself just above the second apron.</p><p>The Celtics dipped under it after trading veteran guard Jrue Holiday and Porzingis, yet bringing in former Minnesota Timberwolves Luka Garza and Josh Minott — albeit on inexpensive contracts — put them back over.</p><p>Garza and Minott are far from household names in the NBA world, with both guys averaging under 10 minutes per game for their careers. They’re who Boston can afford though, leaving the Turners and Poeltls for the rest of the league.</p><h2><b>How the Celtics’ 2025-26 outlook has taken a turn for the worse</b></h2><p>Unfortunately for Boston, Turner and Poeltl stayed in an Eastern Conference that’s improving. To make matters worse, the C’s are <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/boston-celtics/celtics-news-jayson-tatum-going-hard-gym-achilles-rehab">without Tatum for the foreseeable future due to an Achilles rupture</a> and Brown is coming off a partial meniscus tear.</p><p>Those health issues, coupled with Boston’s financial woes, don’t make for a promising offseason outlook. Losing veteran big Al Horford would be another critical blow to the Celtics, and it’s seeming more and more likely due to the current price centers are going for and <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-stories/nba-rumors-warriors-celtics-among-several-al-horford-suitors-in-free-agency">Horford’s plethora of suitors</a>.</p><p>If he does walk, the 2024 NBA champions are left with 25-year-old Neemias Queta, Garza, and rookie Amari Williams as their only true centers. And since Boston doesn’t have enough ammo to win a costly bidding war, it’ll have to pivot to the trade market.</p><p>Celtics President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens has shown an uncanny ability to accomplish offseason stunners, so at least the C’s have the 2024 NBA Executive of the Year in their corner. Whether Boston strikes a deal for a center (perhaps ex-Celtic Robert Williams III) or finds one for a bargain (maybe unrestricted free agent Thomas Bryant) remains to be seen.</p><p>Either way, the Celtics aren’t finished mixing things up. They’ll just have to maneuver without much money in their pockets, which is a tall order in the second apron’s era of big contracts and little wiggle room.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

What Myles Turner, Jakob Poeltl moves mean for Celtics

<!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/toronto-raptors/raptors-news-toronto-jakob-poeltl-104-million-contract-extension');   ga('set', 'title', 'Raptors, Jakob Poeltl agree on $104 million contract extension');   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/2025/03/IMG_1347.jpeg"><figcaption>Mike Watters-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Raptors, Jakob Poeltl agree on $104 million contract extension</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-07-01T11:50:05-07:00">July 1st, 11:50am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-07-01T12:08:19-07:00">July 1st, 12:08pm</time><address><a>Jaren Kawada</a>Jaren Kawada is a former full-time sports bettor and is now a NFL, College Football and Betting Associate Editor at ClutchPoints. Kawada was born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii, but now resides in Indianapolis, Indiana, after graduating from Butler University with a B.A. in sports media. Aside from football, Kawada is an avid combat sports and basketball bettor.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Jakob Poeltl will <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/raptors-rumors-toronto-unwilling-include-jakob-poeltl-kevin-durant-trade">remain with the Toronto Raptors</a> for the foreseeable future. After making it clear that they were committed to their longtime center, the Raptors inked Poeltl to a massive four-year extension that keeps him on the team through the 2029-2030 season.</p><p>Poeltl’s new four-year deal is <a href="https://x.com/ShamsCharania/status/1940115704751300674" rel="noopener">worth $104 million</a>, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported. The deal includes his $19.45 million player option for the 2026-2027 season, with three years tacked on.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Toronto Raptors center Jakob Poeltl has agreed on a four-year, $104 million contract extension with the franchise through 2029-30, sources tell ESPN. Poeltl will pick up his 2026-27 player option at $19.5M and add three additional years to his deal. <a href="https://t.co/wBHnoF5vUV">pic.twitter.com/wBHnoF5vUV</a></p><p>— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1940115704751300674?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 1, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>The deal comes after reports suggested the Raptors were unwilling to deal Poeltl, despite receiving interest from the Phoenix Suns and Los Angeles Lakers. Toronto was not even willing to give him up for a potential Kevin Durant deal, which ultimately ruled them out of consideration.</p><p>The Raptors now have four players signed to long-term deals. Poeltl joins Scottie Barnes as the two players signed through the 2029-2030 season. Toronto has Immanuel Quickley inked through 2028-2029, with Brandon Ingram on the books through the 2027-2028 season. Barnes, Ingram and Quickley will all make over $30 million in 2025-2026.</p><p>While the Raptors’ salary situation is extremely top-heavy, they will have 13 total players returning in 2025-2026. Backup center Chris Boucher is the only key rotational player who is currently a free agent.</p><h2><b>Raptors’ Jakob Poeltl extension sets up future complications</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Raptors-guard-Gradey-Dick.jpg"><figcaption>Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Despite missing the playoffs in three consecutive seasons, the Raptors continue to have one of the most expensive teams in the league. While their core remains locked in for the next three years, Poeltl’s extension limits Toronto in the 2026 and 2027 offseasons.</p><p>The Raptors have a handful of young players who will hit free agency in 2026, including Ochai Agbaji, A.J. Lawson and Colin Castleton. They would want to keep all three around, particularly Agbaji, but neither would be a significant loss.</p><p>However, Toronto figures to face its biggest challenge in the 2027 offseason, when R.J. Barrett and Gradey Dick’s contracts expire. The Raptors picked up Dick’s team option ahead of the 2024-2025 season, but he is in line for a much larger deal due to his steady progression. They would likely only be able to retain one of Barrett or Dick and might eventually be forced to trade one of their big contracts to make more room.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Raptors, Jakob Poeltl agree on $104 million contract extension

<!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/toronto-raptors/raptors-rumors-toronto-unwilling-include-jakob-poeltl-kevin-durant-trade');   ga('set', 'title', 'Raptors rumors: Toronto ‘unwilling’ to include Jakob Poeltl in Kevin Durant trade');   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/2025/06/20250320_tbs_hb4_386.jpg"><figcaption>John Hefti-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Raptors rumors: Toronto ‘unwilling’ to include Jakob Poeltl in Kevin Durant trade</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-20T22:14:36-07:00">June 20th, 10:14pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-20T22:14:36-07:00">June 20th, 10:14pm</time><address><a>Richard Pereira</a>Richard Pereira joined ClutchPoints in January 2025 as an Associate Editor. He earned his degree from Florida Atlantic University in 2023 and has been covering the school's athletic programs since 2020, having served as a Sports Editor at the FAU University Press. He was granted the unique opportunity to report on the men's basketball team's journey to the Final Four in Houston for FAU Owls Nest during March Madness, consistently striving to grow as a sports journalist.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Toronto <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/raptors-rumors-insider-reveals-toronto-is-willing-to-gamble-on-kevin-durant">Raptors’ offseason could turn out to be interesting</a>, whether it involves the draft, trades or free agency. However, it won’t end up with them departing from Jakob Poeltl for Kevin Durant.</p><p>Durant made it clear to the Phoenix Suns the three teams he would prefer to play for. They are the Miami Heat, San Antonio Spurs and Houston Rockets.</p><p>While the Raptors aren’t a favorite, they would elevate their chances by landing Durant with a blockbuster trade. NBA insider Jake Fischer of The Stein Line <a href="https://x.com/TheSteinLine/status/1936269291810369700" rel="noopener">gave his outlook on the scenario</a>, mentioning the possibility but stating that Poeltl won’t be part of any deal for the Suns star.</p><p>“As @michaelgrange noted earlier tonight, Toronto has been unwilling to include Jakob Poeltl in the Raptors’ trade talks regarding Kevin Durant,” Fischer said.</p><h2><b>What lies ahead for Jakob Poeltl, Raptors</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/20250320_tbs_hb4_405.jpg"><figcaption>John Hefti-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>It would be difficult for the Raptors to maintain some of their depth if they trade for Kevin Durant. However, moving on from Jakob Poeltl <a href="https://www.sportsnet.ca/nba/article/raptors-not-willing-to-include-jakob-poeltl-in-potential-deal-for-kevin-durant/" rel="noopener">would not be one of their priorities</a>, according to Sportsnet reporter Michael Grange.</p><p>“There’s no point in adding a player like Durant if the team around him can’t compete. As Poeltl has repeatedly shown since Toronto re-acquired him at the trade deadline in 2023, the Raptors struggle significantly when he doesn’t play. A more likely scenario is that the Raptors reach a contract extension with Poeltl sooner rather than later, with the structure and timing designed to offer the club flexibility as they build out a competitive roster,” Grange wrote.</p><p>“Poeltl is eligible for a three-year, $88.2 million extension if he opts into the final year of his current deal, or a four-year, $121.8 million extension if he opts out and signs a new contract starting this season. Opting into the final year of his current $19.5 million deal would give the Raptors some additional cap flexibility for any acquisitions they might want to pursue this summer.”</p><p>Poeltl has been with the Raptors since the 2022-23 season, returning to the franchise after his departure in 2018. This past season was solid for the veteran big man, averaging 14.5 points, 9.6 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.2 steals, and 1.2 blocks per game.</p><p>Keeping Poeltl would keep the Raptors’ depth in the frontcourt secure. If they wish to pursue Durant, however, they might have to give up pieces in the backcourt to make the dream come to fruition.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Raptors rumors: Toronto ‘unwilling’ to include Jakob Poeltl in Kevin Durant trade

<!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-lakers-know-it-would-be-pretty-hard-trade-for-jakob-poeltl');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: Lakers know it would be ‘pretty hard’ to trade for 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/2025/02/NBA-rumors-Lakers-know-it-would-be-pretty-hard-to-trade-for-Jakob-Poeltl.jpg"><figcaption>ClutchPoints</figcaption></figure><h1>NBA rumors: Lakers know it would be ‘pretty hard’ to trade for Jakob Poeltl</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-02-04T09:50:28-08:00">February 4th, 9:50am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-02-04T09:50:28-08:00">February 4th, 9:50am</time><address><a>Julian Ojeda</a>Julian Ojeda is an Orlando-based sports journalist with 3 years of professional writing under his belt, specializing in both NBA and NFL coverage. A devoted Orlando Magic fan, he deftly balances fervent fandom with insightful reporting, possessing a keen eye for compelling narratives.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Los Angeles Lakers</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>After <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/lakers-news-rob-pelinka-gets-credit-from-josh-hart-for-luka-doncic-trade">securing Luka Doncic in a blockbuster trade</a>, the Los Angeles Lakers are now shifting focus to bolstering their frontcourt depth. With Anthony Davis departing in the deal, the team is actively exploring options at center, and Toronto Raptors big man Jakob Poeltl has emerged as a potential target. However, according to Michael Grange of SportsNet, a league source acknowledges that acquiring Poeltl would be a difficult task.</p><p>“The Lakers know it would be pretty hard — not impossible — to get him,” the source said regarding Poeltl’s availability.</p><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/lakers-news-mavericks-luka-doncic-anthony-davis-trade">Lakers pulled off a franchise-altering trade over the weekend</a>, acquiring Doncic along with Maxi Kleber and Markieff Morris in exchange for Davis, Max Christie, and their 2029 first-round pick. While the move solidified the team’s future, it left them thin in the frontcourt, making a move for a center a priority before the February 6 trade deadline.</p><h2><b>Jakob Poeltl’s value rises as Raptors hold firm in potential trade with Lakers</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Jakob-Poeltl-19-passes-the-ball-against-Los-Angeles-Lakers-center-Jaxson-Hayes-11.jpg"><figcaption>© Jonathan Hui-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Poeltl, 29, is having a strong season for the Raptors, averaging 14.4 points, 10.3 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 1.3 blocks, and 1.2 steals per game while shooting 61.1% from the field across 44 games. His interior presence, rebounding ability, and defensive skill set make him an attractive option for teams seeking size and rim protection.</p><p>According to Grange, the Raptors are <a href="https://www.sportsnet.ca/nba/article/raptors-in-wait-and-see-mode-as-trade-deadline-approaches/" rel="noopener">holding out for a significant offer</a>, likely involving a first-round pick with protections. Toronto’s front office views Poeltl as a key piece in their transition phase, especially after trading what became the No. 8 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft to acquire him. The Spurs later flipped that pick to the Minnesota Timberwolves in exchange for an unprotected 2031 first-round pick and a top-10 protected 2030 pick swap.</p><p>The Lakers currently have one first-round pick available for trade in 2031, but it remains unclear if they are willing to part with it for Poeltl. With the trade deadline just two days away, the front office must weigh their options carefully as they look to add size alongside Doncic and LeBron James for a deep playoff push.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA rumors: Lakers know it would be ‘pretty hard’ to trade for 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-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>

2025-26 SEASON STATS
PTS	REB	AST	BLK	STL
11.3	7.7	1.8	0.6	0.6

2025-26 SEASON STATS
PTS	REB	AST	BLK	STL
11.3	7.7	1.8	0.6	0.6

Jakob Poeltl news

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