NBA Rumors: Spurs Setting Up For Jakob Poeltl Trade

The San Antonio Spurs are clearly in tear-down mode, as evidenced by the blockbuster trade that sent up-and-coming star Dejounte Murray to the Atlanta Hawks for, essentially, a boatload of first-round picks. The Spurs' next biggest trade piece is center Jakob Poeltl. And according to NBA Insider Marc Stein, the writing is on the wall.

The recent signings of center Gorgui Dieng and the waiver claim of power forward Isaiah Roby pave the way for extra bodies up front, which Stein says should lead to more calls than ever for Poeltl. He was courted at February's trade deadline by the Toronto Raptors and Chicago Bulls, among others.

I don't know if adding Dieng and Roby neccesarily spells the immediate end for Jakob Poeltl in SA.

But it certainly gives the Spurs some bodies to roll out if they do trade Poeltl. And they should definitely be testing the market for him.

— Jeff McDonald (@JMcDonald_SAEN) July 5, 2022

The 26-year-old Austrian really came into his own this past season, putting up career numbers across the board. Poeltl averaged 13.5 points, a boost of five points a game from the previous season, 9.3 rebounds (up from 7.9), and a healthy 1.7 blocks per game. 

Poeltl was the 9th overall pick of the Raptors in the 2016 Draft, and has shown himself to be more than just a 'throw in' in the famed Kawhi Leonard trade that also brought DeMar DeRozan to Texas. 

 Photo Credit: Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports