Many teams around the NBA are monitoring the San Antonio Spurs as a potential seller at the trade deadline. With veterans like Jakob Poeltl, Josh Richardson, and Doug McDermott, there will be plenty of options.
Before the season began, Poeltl declined the maximum extension offer the Spurs could make of $58 million over four years. He will command a significantly greater payday in free agency. Given that he is 27, he is primed to be a trade candidate as San Antonio rebuilds long-term.
As Shams Charania of The Athletic reported, Poeltl is drawing significant trade interest from the Boston Celtics and Toronto Raptors ahead of Feb. 9 deadline.
However, one organization emerges every deadline as a key hub for the entire NBA. This season, it could be San Antonio. Spurs center Jakob Poeltl has gained significant trade interest from teams such as the Toronto Raptors and Boston Celtics, according to league sources who, like all the other sources in this story, were granted anonymity so that they would be able to speak freely.
The Raptors are currently in an awkward position as a franchise. Are they going to be willing to make a win-now trade even though they rank 11th in the Eastern Conference standings? With plenty of veteran players that could command a significant trade return, they could undergo a quick rebuild around Scottie Barnes.
The Celtics are in a different situation. Coming off an NBA Finals appearance, they rank atop the Eastern Conference standings and appear primed for a potential deep playoff run once again. Adding Poeltl into their frontcourt rotation would only further solidify their potential of achieving such results.
There will be plenty of options for the Spurs when it comes to potential trades involving Poeltl, McDermott, and Richardson. The Celtics and Raptors are just two of the many teams to monitor for the veteran center.
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