The rumor mill in the NBA with less than a month to go before the trade deadline hasn’t featured a ton of big names. For months, though, one name that has popped up every now and then is Jakob Poeltl, the veteran center who is slated to become an unrestricted free agent this summer and doesn’t quite fit on the timeline of a team that is taking a long-term approach.
Earlier this week, Shams Charania of The Athletic reported that while the Spurs have an offer on the table for a Poeltl extension, the former first-round pick wants to “compete on the highest levels.” Charania went on to say that the Boston Celtics and Toronto Raptors have plenty of interest in Poeltl, but “the Spurs will hold a high price threshold for any deal.”
That price, according to Jared Weiss of The Athletic, is indeed quite high, as the Spurs want a similar return to what they got when they traded Derrick White to the Celtics last year.
The sticking point has been, as always, price. San Antonio has made it known to interested parties throughout the league the Spurs want two first-round picks for Poeltl, according to team and league sources, which was the same stance they took on Derrick White last season.
Considered one of the best defensive centers in basketball, Poeltl has averaged 12.3 points, 9.3 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks in 26.4 minutes per game this season while connecting on 63.4 percent of his attempts from the field.