NBA Trade Deadline Grades: Suns land KD, Lakers get a puncher’s chance in West

The Toronto Raptors land Jakob Poeltl

This is a move that I don’t truly understand but I’m also not going to question much because the Toronto Raptors have one of the best decision-makers in the league in Masai Ujiri. Nevertheless, the Raptors acquired Jakob Poeltl from the San Antonio Spurs in excahnge for a first-round pick and two future second-round picks, along with Khem Birch.

You understand this move for the Spurs as they get the draft compensation that they were seeking in excahnge for Poeltl. They were not going to re-sign him during the offseason and just needed to get something for him at the deadline. They accomlished that.

As for the Raptors, where this move doesn’t completely add up, is the fact that they could end up being sellers at the deadline. Nonetheless, perhaps this goes to show that the Raptors aren’t completley selling at the dedadline.

If this is just a retooling, at least the Raptors have their center of the future in Poeltl.

Raptors: B+

Spurs: A