NBA Rumors: Two More "Surprising Teams" Involved In Jakob Poeltl Talks

We’re well aware of the Toronto Raptors’ interest in San Antonio Spurs center Jakob Poeltl. And the Boston Celtics, too. But now two surprising new teams have entered the running, according to a Spurs Insider.

LJ Ellis reports that both the New Orleans Pelicans and Portland Trail Blazers have engaged in Poeltl talks with the Spurs. Both teams, of course, have main men in the middle that are big contributors to their teams on offence, in Jonas Valanciunas and Jusuf Nurkic, respectively.

Ellis says an interesting new trend in the NBA could explain why these teams are interested in the rim-protecting Spurs big man.

Scouts I’ve spoken with speculate that the Pelicans and Blazers may see Poeltl as a better fit due to the fact that teams continue to evolve away from centers who need touches in the low post to be effective.

But regardless of why they're interested, they'll need to come up with a substantial offer to pry Poeltl loose from the Alamo City. "According to the team source I talked to, the Spurs don’t plan to budge from requiring two first-rounders to complete a Poeltl trade," writes Ellis.

The latest Raptors rumor centered around Poeltl included a potential 3-team deal, while the Celtics' latest offer, says Ellis, includes a completely unprotected 2028 first-round pick.

Poeltl is averaging 12.3 points and 9.2 rebounds this season for the Spurs. By comparison, Valanciunas has averaged 16.4 points in his three seasons with the Pelicans, while Nurkic has averaged 14.5 points in his seven years in Portland.

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