Toronto Raptors center Jakob Poeltl will be a name to keep an eye on this summer.
Poeltl put together a career-high season in points and rebounds as he averaged 14.5 points and 9.6 rebounds.
Given his strong production, opposing front offices were looking to swing for the veteran ahead of the February trade deadline.
However, no deals materialized as Toronto coveted Poeltl and looked to compete next season with Brandon Ingram in town.
But, that is not stopping teams from checking in as the Los Angeles Lakers are reportedly already expressing interest in the 7-footer, via Michael Scotto of HoopsHype:
Poeltl is owed $19.5 million for the 2025-26 season and has a player option for the same figure for the 2026-27 season. Should Poeltl not get an extension done with Toronto, a team such as the Los Angeles Lakers – who are seeking an upgrade at center – could have trade interest. Poeltl has previously signaled he’d like to get an extension done and remain a Raptor, if possible, and Ujiri called him a “backbone” during his exit media availability.
It is no secret that L.A. needs a starting center and that will presumably be their first move this offseason.
Now that Luka Doncic is a Laker, Poeltl is not a vertical lob threat that he tends to thrive with. Although, the Raptors big is a player that does not require touches and cleans up around the basket.
As Scotto reported, there will be a hesitancy to move him and ultimately, it may boil down to whether or not an extension is agreed upon.
Should Poeltl and Toronto not agree on a new contract, L.A. possesses one first-round pick in 2031, pick swaps, Dalton Knecht, the No. 14 pick in 2024 and veteran pieces in Gabe Vincent and Rui Hachimura.
The Raptors will value their center extremely high, as they should and it may be too steep for the Lakers to meet.
Asking price for Jakob Poeltl revealed
Plenty of teams checked in Jakob Poeltl’s availability last season and the Raptors opted not to part ways with him.
Toronto valued Poeltl very highly and it looked like they wanted more than an unprotected first-round pick.
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