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Rumors persist to link the Boston Celtics with a potential move for San Antonio Spurs big man Jakob Poeltl, with the thought process being Boston could use him as high-level cover for the injury-prone Robert Williams.
According to LJ Ellis of Spurs Talk, there is some chatter that Boston could be willing to lift the protections off their 2028 first-round pick, which they sent to the Spurs as part of the Derrick Whtie trade, in order to sweeten any trade package centered around Poeltl.
“The Boston Celtics are another team that multiple league sources say are very interested in trading for Poeltl. The Celtics reportedly see Poeltl as the perfect fit to fortify their frontcourt as they gear up for a championship push. I’ve been told that Boston’s latest offer for Poeltl includes a completely unprotected 2028 first round pick. Currently, the Spurs have the option to swap first round picks with the Celtics in 2028 as long the pick isn’t the first overall selection. That pick swap was acquired by San Antonio as part of the Derrick White trade,” Ellis wrote.
Poeltl, 27, is set to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season, meaning Boston could view him as a short-term rental in a bid to help them chase their 18th championship and their first banner since 2008.
Jakob Poeltl’s Future Contract Expectations Revealed
According to a recent report by Marc Stein, who was writing in his SteinLine newsletter, Poeltl is expected to command roughly $20 million per season with his next contract, likely pricing him outside of Boston’s price range.
“League sources say in-demand Spurs center Jakob Poeltl, who is in the final season of a three-year deal worth $26.3 million, will be seeking a new deal in the $20 million range annually this summer when he hits free agency,” Stein wrote on January 21.
It will be interesting to see how much Boston is willing to give up (if anything) for a big man who will likely leave for nothing once the current season reaches its conclusion – regardless of whether Boston wins a championship or not.
Celtics Encouraged To Avoid Trading More Draft Picks
According to Bleacher Report’s Dan Favale, the Celtics should be cautious about moving on from any additional draft assets in the near future, as they need to prepare for an aging bench unit and also the potential ‘flight risk’ of Jaylen Brown.
“Boston has the capacity to dangle first-rounders in 2025, 2027 and 2029. The latter is too far away to spotlight…Rival teams should be most interested in the 2025 selection. It conveys relatively soon yet post-dates Brown’s entry in 2024 free agency. The current extension rules make it prohibitive for him to sign one, so he will hit the open market. This isn’t to imply Brown is a flight risk, but he could be,” Favale wrote.
Still, the Celtics are in championship mode, and if a trade for an additional talent is going to cost them a future draft pick, it makes sense that they would consider pushing ahead with the deal. After all, championship windows are often short-lived, so, they should be maximized whenever possible.
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