The Toronto Raptors announced Thursday they have acquired centre Jakob Poeltl (YAH-cub PER-tull) from San Antonio in exchange for centre Khem Birch, a protected 2024 first round draft pick and second round draft picks in 2023 and 2025. Poeltl was selected ninth overall by the Raptors in the 2016 NBA Draft.
Poeltl, 7-foot-1, 260 pounds, is averaging 12.1 points, 9.0 rebounds, 1.1 blocks and 26.1 minutes in 46 games (all starts) this season. He is shooting .616 (239-388) from the field, has scored 20+ points six times and recorded 11 doubles-doubles. Poeltl scored a career-high 31 points Nov. 15 at Portland and grabbed a season-best 16 rebounds Jan. 6 against Detroit.
A native of Vienna, Austria, Poeltl owns career averages of 7.8 points, 6.4 rebounds, 1.2 blocks and 20.8 minutes in 462 games (210 starts) with San Antonio and Toronto.
Prior to the NBA, Poeltl played two years (2014-16) at Utah and one season (2013-14) for the Arkadia Traiskirchen Lions in Austria. He was the 2016 Pac-12 Player of the Year, an AP second-team All-American and the recipient of the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award for the nation's top centre his sophomore year with the Utes.
Birch averaged 5.5 points, 4.3 rebounds and 18.4 minutes in 94 games with the Raptors after signing as a free agent in April 2021.