Once upon a time, the Toronto Raptors shipped out center Jakob Poeltl in order to acquire a superstar. The Raptors dealt Poeltl to the San Antonio Spurs to acquire forward Kawhi Leonard in July 2018, and as Toronto's 2019 championship banner can attest to, the rest is history.
Fast forward to 2025, and Poeltl—back on the Raptors—finds himself in trade speculation once again. This time, however, Toronto may not be so eager to part with the Austrian.
The Raptors do not want to give up Poetl in a potential deal for Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant, according to a Friday afternoon report from Michael Grange of Sportsnet in Canada.
"The Suns were asking for Poeltl at the trade deadline and got a firm ‘no’ back then, but that hasn’t stopped them from asking, apparently," Grange wrote.
Poeltl averaged a career-high 14.5 points and 9.6 rebounds per game for Toronto in 2025, providing consistent solid play even as the Raptors muddled through a 30-52 season.
Durant, on the other hand, remains a potent scorer as he winds down a career sure to end in Springfield, Mass. For Toronto, however, it appears the math doesn't add up for the time being with Durant entering a contract year.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Raptors Unwilling to Part With Surprising Veteran in Potential Kevin Durant Trade.
