NBA trade rumors: San Antonio Spurs want 2 first-round picks for Jakob Poeltl
CLEVELAND, Ohio — The San Antonio Spurs are 17 games below .500 and three games ahead of the Detroit Pistons for the third-worst record in the NBA, which would guarantee a share of the best odds for the first pick in the 2023 NBA Draft and the right to select French big man Victor Wenbanyama.
As a result, they’ll be one of the most interesting teams to watch ahead of the Feb. 9 trade deadline, and they have one of the most interesting trade targets in center Jakob Poeltl.
The former No. 9 overall pick is in the last year of his contract and is making almost $9.4 million. Jared Weiss of The Athletic reported on Wednesday morning that the Spurs want two first-round picks for Poeltl, who is averaging 12.3 points, 9.3 rebounds and a career-high 2.9 assists while shooting 63.4% from the field.
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The Celtics and Raptors are among the teams most interested in trading for Poeltl according to The Athletic’s Shams Charania. Boston and San Antonio made a key trade last season at the deadline when Derrick White went to the Celtics and played a key role in their run to the NBA Finals.
Poeltl was eligible for a contract extension in the offseason but opted to play on an expiring deal.
The Cam Reddish saga in New York could be winding down. NBA insider Marc Stein reported that the Knicks are stepping up their efforts to move on from Reddish.
Stein added that the Knicks are looking for a second-round pick in return for Reddish. Among the teams interested in him are the Bucks, Lakers and Mavericks. If he were to go to Dallas, the Knicks are interested in getting Reggie Bullock back according to Stein.
The Knicks acquired Reddish in January 2022 from the Hawks in a trade that involved a first-round pick and Kevin Knox II going to Atlanta. Since the trade, Reddish has played in only 35 games over the course of two seasons in New York.
Reddish has played 20 games for the Knicks this season, averaging 8.4 points while shooting 44.9% from the field and 30.4% from 3-point range. He hasn’t played since Dec. 3, falling out of Tom Thibodeaux’s rotation.
The Raptors are one of the more disappointing teams in the NBA past the midway point of the season. They stand half a game out of the final play-in spot in the Eastern Conference behind the Bulls, who have a game in hand.
With 22 days until the deadline, the Raptors look like they will be very active according to Yahoo Sports’ Jake Fischer. One assistant general manager told Fischer that the Raptors have told teams they plan to “do something.”
A likely candidate to move as Marc Stein reported earlier this month could be wing Gary Trent Jr., who is set to decline an $18.5-million player option after the season and test free agency. Fischer also reported that if the Raptors move on from Trent, a target could be Hornets forward Jalen McDaniels, who is also a free agent after the season and could command less money on the market.
Trent is averaging a career-high 18.5 points, shooting 43.9% from the field and 36.3% from 3 on 7.1 attempts.
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