Here for the long haul? Selling high on Poeltl isn't Raptors' only option

Rebuilding teams divide players into two groups. They're either promising youngsters who'll form the core of the organization's next winner, or they're stopgaps - mere assets to be sold to the highest bidder.

At least, that's what fans think. Those inside and around NBA clubs know there's a lot more to it.

Toronto Raptors center Jakob Poeltl is a perfect case study for this dichotomy. Poeltl is currently enjoying the finest stretch of his career, but at 29, he's roughly five-to-10 years older than the rebuilding Raptors' young core. Having been acquired in exchange for a first-round draft pick and two second-rounders at the 2023 trade deadline, Poeltl is a player many fans believe Toronto needs to recoup value from on the trade market.

That's why, amid a positively Shaq-like stretch, the prevailing take is that the team should sell high on the starting center.

But it's never that simple. Poeltl's steady presence and basketball IQ are invaluable to a young team learning the ins and outs of the NBA while managing the effects of mounting losses.

"Jak, this year, has really embraced the role of becoming a veteran player," Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic told theScore before Monday's victory over Indiana, in which Poeltl posted 30 points and 15 rebounds.

"He's using his voice a lot. He's very positive with teammates. He's able to explain to them, on the fly, the things they need to do."

Poeltl's on-court impact looms even larger than those intangible qualities, which is why the Raptors should be wary of rushing to move him, and fans should be careful what they wish for.

Poeltl's ninth season is off to a roaring start, with the big man averaging 17.1 points, 11.9 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.3 blocks, and 1.2 steals in nearly 33 minutes per game. The only players who come close to matching those across-the-board numbers this season are three-time MVP Nikola Jokic, future Hall of Famer Anthony Davis, and rising Houston Rockets star Alperen Sengun. The only player who's matched those statistical measures over the last five years is Davis, according to Stathead.

Such production helps those unfamiliar with Poeltl's game understand why the head coach of the defending champions recently called Poeltl "one of the best players in the league."

According to his own coach, Poeltl has found a more forceful side of himself on the court in addition to finding his voice in the locker room.

"The team is finding him, and he's playing really well in pick-and-rolls," Rajakovic said after Poeltl's performance against the Pacers. "He's getting better at reading when defenses are going over or under (screens) and finding his pocket pass. He's playing with more force - going downhill and trying to dunk in some of those situations. That's a testament to his work and everything he did over the course of the summer."

Rajakovic added he needed to have "a lot" of conversations with Poeltl about playing with that force. "'Jak, you can dunk the ball. Jak, you can be a lob threat. Jak, do this. Jak, do that.' Over and over again," Rajakovic told theScore. "He didn't believe. He started to question it. He's believing it more and more now. There were definitely a lot of conversations, a lot of film, and a lot of work. Credit to him being coachable and making progress."

That progress, and Poeltl's start to the season, are a reminder that a player's development doesn't abruptly stop in his mid-20s. A nine-year veteran can still improve and have more to offer going forward.

From Poeltl's perspective, his early-season breakout has more to do with his teammates and his role as a hub in Rajakovic's faster, movement-heavy offense than any personal overhaul.

"Maybe there's a bit of a mindset change for me personally, but I think more than anything, I'm getting more opportunities within the flow of our offense. Our guys are finding me," Poeltl told theScore. "I'm catching a rhythm because I'm getting a couple easy ones. It feels more comfortable like I have more of a flow. And it's easier to, every now and then, maybe break out of a play if I feel like I see something or to be more aggressive in a certain situation. To me, it doesn't feel like I'm doing that much differently. I think the opportunities just present themselves in a different way than they used to."

To Poeltl's point, through 15 games, he ranked 42nd leaguewide in touches per game (sandwiched between Paul George and Ja Morant), 23rd in front-court touches (between Tyrese Haliburton and Jimmy Butler), and was second only to Jokic in elbow touches, according to NBA.com.

The elephant in the room here is that although Rajakovic is finally getting to use Poeltl in the ways he envisioned as an elbow hub, this has mostly transpired while All-Star Scottie Barnes and starting point guard Immanuel Quickley have been sidelined. Poeltl recently referenced how well guard Davion Mitchell and swingman RJ Barrett have been playing with him - and off of him - in pick-and-roll actions. Though Poeltl will understandably be featured less when the team is at full strength, Rajakovic must ensure he keeps the offense flowing through him on some level when Barnes and Quickley return.

Looking toward a loaded 2025 draft is tempting, but it's also important for the Raptors to figure out what they have at full strength. This season's presumed starting lineup - featuring Quickley, Gradey Dick, Barnes, Barrett, and Poeltl - hasn't played together since last season when the quintet shared the court for just four minutes.

Given the strides Dick has made as a scorer, Barrett as a playmaker, and Poeltl as a more pronounced offensive weapon, Toronto might have something worth building on once incorporating Barnes and Quickley.

"If (Poeltl) continues like this, we're going to have another All-Star," Rajakovic said after Poeltl wrapped up a three-game stretch in which he averaged 30 points and 15 rebounds. The thing with Poeltl is that he doesn't have to be an All-Star, just like he doesn't have to expand his shooting range to fit in with the modern game.

He may not produce like young Shaq going forward, but Poeltl's the type of solid, all-around big man every team needs. He's a legit 7-footer who can anchor a defense from the back end (provided there's competent defensive play in front of him). Poeltl is arguably the league's best screener, a smart and capable playmaker from the elbows, incredibly efficient in the paint, and a monster on the offensive glass.

If the Raptors trade him to expedite their rebuild or because he no longer aligns with the team's timeline, Toronto will likely spend years trying to find a big man who checks all the boxes Poeltl does.

"I think I can play a lot of different roles out there. Obviously, I'm not going to be a stretch big or anything like that. But I can be more involved, I can be a secondary option, I can be someone that just helps get teammates open and gets the flow of the offense going. It's definitely something I pride myself on," Poeltl said. "Different teams, different stages of NBA teams - we're a very young team, a new team right now - require different things. I just try to do what I think is best out there for our team."

A low-maintenance player who checks all those boxes, understands his role, and is set to earn just 12.6% of the salary cap next season is one to be treasured, regardless of where a team resides in its competitive cycle. That's why Raptors president Masai Ujiri has said he views Poeltl as the type of player who fits in Toronto, regardless of the franchise's direction.

That may not be what some fans want to hear, but it makes plenty of sense.

Given that the Raptors' combination of youth and an early-season injury bug has them near the bottom of the standings, Ujiri shouldn't have to worry about an unintentional playoff run spoiling his lottery plans. The woeful Eastern Conference and a return to health could keep the Raptors in a postseason race longer than the front office feels comfortable, but it's still no time to panic-trade a player like Poeltl just to inch closer to the maximum 14% odds of winning the Cooper Flagg sweepstakes. Not unless an offer is too outrageous to pass up.

In other words, don't be surprised if Poeltl's around for the long haul. Such a development should be met with excitement by Raptors fans, not dismay.

Joseph Casciaro is theScore's lead Raptors and NBA reporter.