Jakob Poeltl joined the San Antonio Spurs as the less heralded part of the trade that brought in DeMar DeRozan, while Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green went to the Toronto Raptors. It marked a change two years after the Raptors selected the Austrian big man from Utah, with two years of backup experience to Jonas Valanciunas completed.
Poeltl only started four games in Toronto, but in a less stable center situation in San Antonio, could a larger opportunity arise in the 2018-19 season?
According to Desert News, in Poeltl’s first media appearance as a Spur, he spoke on the praise NBA legend Charles Barkley gave him after the mid-July trade, including being called one of the most underrated players in the league:
“Underrated, overrated, it really doesn’t matter that much to me,” Poeltl said.