Jakob Poeltl Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Atlantic Notes: Poeltl, Raptors, Celtics, Minott, Sixers

October 30th, 2025 at 9:13am CST by Luke Adams

Raptors center Jakob Poeltl was inactive on Wednesday vs. Houston and is considered day-to-day with back tightness, tweets Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca. While Wednesday’s contest was the first one Poeltl has missed this season, the injury has impacted his performance in the early going — he averaged just 6.5 points per night in his first four outings, and the Raptors were outscored during his time on the court in each of those games.

“It’s definitely affected him quite a bit,” head coach Darko Rajakovic said (Twitter link via Lewenberg). “He was not himself in those games. He was not moving the way we know that he can move and, definitely, his performance was not where we know Jak can be.”

Rajakovic hopes that Poeltl will benefit from a little rest and won’t have to manage the issue long-term. However, even when their starting center is available, the Raptors are short on size, according to Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca, who notes that the issue was exacerbated against a big Rockets team with 6’8″ rookie Collin Murray-Boyles starting at center.

Toronto was out-rebounded on Wednesday by an astounding 53-22 margin in the 18-point loss, with Houston grabbing nearly as many offensive rebounds (17) as the Raptors did on the defensive end (18).

“I thought our guys were fighting, they were trying as much as they could,” Rajakovic said. “They just manhandled us inside the paint, and we did not have an answer for the rebounding.”

We have more from around the Atlantic:

The Celtics, who opened the year with their longest regular season losing streak since March 2023 (three games), are preaching patience as their newcomers get comfortable and new roles are established, writes Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe (subscription required). “We’ve got some guys who the information is comprehending, they’re learning,” Jaylen Brown said earlier this week. “They’re becoming better basketball players. I’m here to help our guys learn in that process as I’m trying to lead as well. It’s gonna take some time. We lost four All-Stars last season, we lost some big-time players. To replace those guys don’t happen overnight and it doesn’t happen in a week either.”
After getting their first win of the season on Monday, the Celtics made it two in a row with a decisive 20-point victory over Cleveland on Wednesday. Offseason free agent addition Josh Minott started both games and made a significant impact, averaging a double-double (13.0 PPG, 11.5 RPG) while registering an outrageous net rating of +44.4 in 61 total minutes. Minott, who didn’t play much during three years in Minnesota, called it a “blessing” to be in Boston, per Jay King of The Athletic. “They’re not really asking for much,” Minott said of the Celtics’ coaches. “Just do my best to defend the other team’s best player, rebound, defend and space the floor on offense. And truthfully, after that, they see everything as a plus. I’m just trying to hone in on what they expect out of me and just help my team to continue to look the best they can.”
In his latest mailbag for The Philadelphia Inquirer, Keith Pompey discusses a handful of Sixers-related topics, including Joel Embiid‘s minutes restriction and what the rotation might look like when Paul George and Jared McCain are healthy. In Pompey’s view, if the roster were fully healthy, the 76ers would start either Dominick Barlow or Kelly Oubre Jr. alongside George, Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, and VJ Edgecombe, with McCain, Quentin Grimes, Trendon Watford, and either Adem Bona or Andre Drummond among the first players off the bench.

Injury Notes: Queen, White, Brown, Raptors, Rockets, More

October 18th, 2025 at 2:08pm CST by Rory Maher

Rookie big man Derik Queen has been medically cleared to participate in full basketball activities, the Pelicans announced today (via Twitter).

Head coach Willie Green said Queen was a full participant in Saturday’s practice, tweets Will Guillory of The Athletic. While the team wants to get Queen up to speed, Green said New Orleans will be careful not to rush the process after a lengthy layoff.

Queen has been rehabilitating from July surgery to address a torn scapholunate ligament in his left wrist, an injury he sustained at Summer League in Las Vegas. He was a limited participant during New Orleans’ training camp due to the injury.

Queen was selected with the 13th overall pick in June after the Pelicans sent Atlanta this year’s No. 23 selection and an unprotected 2026 first-rounder (the most favorable of New Orleans’ and Milwaukee’s picks) for the right to draft the Maryland big man, who was highly productive in his lone season with the Terrapins. In 36 games last season, the 20-year-old forward/center averaged 16.5 points, 9.0 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 1.1 steals and 1.1 blocks in 30.4 minutes per contest.

We have several more injury notes from around the NBA:

Bulls guard Coby White, who has been battling a calf strain since August and didn’t play in any preseason games this fall, “looked good” after going through most of the contact portions of Saturday’s practice, according to head coach Billy Donovan (Twitter links K.C. Johnson of Chicago Sports Network). Donovan added that White would go through additional contact work on Monday after taking Sunday off. For his part, White said he was encouraged by today’s session, though he cautioned he’s still working on regaining his conditioning and rhythm. “We’ll see. It’s in the works,” White said of potentially playing in Chicago’s season opener, per Johnson.
Celtics star Jaylen Brown sustained a left hamstring injury in Wednesday’s preseason finale. As Jay King of The Athletic writes, head coach Joe Mazzulla didn’t say whether Brown would be active for next Wednesday’s season opener, but the injury doesn’t sound serious — Brown is considered day-to-day, per Mazzulla.
Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic expressed optimism that lottery pick Collin Murray-Boyles could be ready for Wednesday’s season opener in Atlanta after the former South Carolina forward sustained an arm injury last week, tweets Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca. According to Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca (Twitter links), Murray-Boyles is day-to-day with a right forearm strain.
Although Raptors center Jakob Poeltl missed time during preseason with lower back stiffness and exited Friday’s preseason finale with the same injury, Rajakovic clarified after the game that the Austrian big man was pulled for precautionary reasons (Twitter links via Lewenberg). Poeltl is under contract through 2029/30 after signing a lucrative long-term extension in July.
Forward Jae’Sean Tate, who underwent offseason ankle surgery, went through contract drills in Saturday’s practice, per Rockets head coach Ime Udoka (Twitter link via Danielle Lerner of The Houston Chronicle). The team remains optimistic that Tate will be available for Houston’s season opener, but Dorian Finney-Smith probably won’t be, according to Udoka. Finney-Smith, a free agent addition, is recovering from June ankle surgery.
Former Alabama forward Grant Nelson was originally expected to sign an Exhibit 10 deal with the Nets shortly after Summer League in July, but the signing was delayed until a few days ago due to an otherwise unspecified “stress reaction from overworking,” he told Brian Lewis of The New York Post. “It was like a small, little minor injury that held me out of training camp. And then I feel like I did everything I could. I caught the injury really early, so I wasn’t out long. But it worked out perfect. So now I’m back healthy, feeling 100 percent.”
Backup Lakers center Jaxson Hayes exited Friday’s preseason finale with a right wrist contusion, the team announced (Twitter link via Dan Woike of The Athletic). Head coach JJ Redick said after the game that X-Rays on the wrist were negative, with another update on Hayes expected to come on Sunday, as veteran NBA report Mark Medina relays (via Twitter).
Trail Blazers forward Deni Avdija experienced upper back stiffness on Thursday in Utah, causing him to exit Portland’s preseason finale, per the team (Twitter link). It’s unclear if Avdija will miss additional time as a result of the injury.

Raptors Notes: Webster, Pritchard, Roster Moves, Rotation

August 19th, 2025 at 1:59pm CST by Luke Adams

The Raptors announced on Monday that they’ve decided not to fill the president role formerly held by Masai Ujiri, with Bobby Webster hanging onto his title of general manager as he takes over as the team’s permanent head of basketball operations. That’s fine with Webster, as Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca relays.

“On the title, what’s the best way to put it? The title, to me, probably isn’t as important as the responsibilities,” Webster said. “I’m really thankful for this opportunity. I’ll make the most of it and that (not getting the president title) is not something that concerns me.”

While Webster seems unfazed by not being named the Raptors’ president, he’s still expected to have a chance to earn a promotion to that position based on how he handles his new responsibilities, Grange adds.

“This is his chance,” a source close to the hiring process told Sportsnet. “Show (us) he’s the president. It’s a process. It’s all about the rebuild, it’s all about the strategy going forward. Can Brandon Ingram and Scottie Barnes become an incredible duo? How do you manage the tax situation we’re currently in?

“At the end of the day, it will be about Bobby making the right decisions moving forward. He’s (40 years old) and he’s got every quality that you want representing your organization. Now, it comes down to wins and losses, building the reputation of the brand and dealing with the salary cap.”

Here’s more on the Raptors:

Grange hears from sources that Toronto formally interviewed Pacers president Kevin Pritchard, former Kings general manager Monte McNair, and former Raptors coach Dwane Casey for its president role, while Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca reports that Pacers GM Chad Buchanan and Bulls GM Marc Eversley also interviewed for the job. Pritchard was believed to be the candidate that intrigued the Raptors the most, but “prying him away from the Pacers proved difficult,” Grange writes.
While Webster believes the roster the Raptors have put together is ready to “make the next step” in 2025/26, there’s skepticism around the NBA about some of the moves the team has made in recent years. According to Grange, one Eastern Conference executive questioned the team’s investments in Immanuel Quickley (five years, $162.5MM), Ingram (three years, $120MM), and Jakob Poeltl (three years, $84MM): “I know sometimes you have to pay a premium for players in Canada, but that much?” Another rival executive, per Grange, suggested there’s an excess of wings on the roster and a lack of depth at point guard and center. “They have a lot of nice pieces,” that executive said. “It’s just not clear how they all fit.”
Some of the executives who interviewed for the Raptors’ president job were among those questioning the club’s recent personnel decisions, according to Lewenberg, who says one of those external candidates referred to the Ingram trade as a “desperate Hail Mary.”
Eric Koreen of The Athletic previews what the Raptors’ rotation might look like this fall, projecting Gradey Dick, Ochai Agbaji, Sandro Mamukelashvili, Jamal Shead, and Collin Murray-Boyles to be the top options off the bench behind a starting lineup of Barnes, Ingram, Quickley, Poeltl, and RJ Barrett.

Raptors Notes: Poeltl, Webster, Ujiri, Ingram

July 16th, 2025 at 10:25pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Newly extended Raptors center Jakob Poeltl will serve as an integral frontcourt piece for Toronto this year, in part because the team is light at the center position beyond the 29-year-old, writes Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca.

Earlier this summer, Poeltl inked a new four-year, $104MM deal that will keep him under contract through 2029/30. In 57 healthy games for Toronto last season, the seven-footer out of Utah averaged 14.5 points, 9.6 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.2 blocks, and 1.2 steals per contest.

Grange notes that free agent addition Sandro Mamukelashvili could add jump shooting and face-up scoring in spot minutes, but suggest that Poeltl being an established commodity means he will be heavily leaned upon.

No. 57 pick Ulrich Chomche may be raw, but Grange observes that the 19-year-old has shown some potential already in Summer League.

The Raptors, meanwhile, made a big front office move this summer when they parted ways with longtime team president Masai Ujiri. The move happened while Poeltl was in the midst of contract negotiations on his extension.

“Obviously that was an extra conversation there, like, ‘Hey, does this change anything, what’s going on, what’s the deal with our future?’” Poeltl said. “But honestly, at the end of the day, it didn’t change much.”

Here’s more on the Raptors:

According to Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca, Toronto’s search for its new president — and a promise from the club’s new ownership group to continue making changes — has left people within the organization uneasy. “Everybody is scared,” a source told Lewenberg. “The closer you are to the top, the more you feel it.”
Lewenberg proceeds to make the case for Ujiri’s longtime second-in-command, general manager Bobby Webster, to become his permanent replacement. However, he says the Raptors’ ownership group (Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment) enlisted the services of search firm CAA Executive Search, who submitted a list of recommended targets to the MLSE board last week.
What the team’s next personnel moves will be remain unclear. Several sources have described Ujiri as the “driving force” behind Toronto’s trade for former All-Star forward Brandon Ingram, per Lewenberg. Whether Ingram would remain a core part of the retooled roster under a new regime remains uncertain.
Lewenberg notes that the team could also potentially keep Webster in his current position, handling basketball operations, before making a long-term commitment to him.

Raptors Notes: Ujiri, Poeltl, Roster

July 6th, 2025 at 3:19pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Longtime Raptors team president Masai Ujiri, who was let go by the franchise the day after the draft, appeared on “Good Morning America” to promote his non-profit youth basketball organization Giants of Africa and addressed the end of his Toronto run this summer (YouTube video link).

The Raptors claimed their one and only franchise title with Ujiri running their front office in 2019, but have made just two playoff appearances in the six years since then.

“Twelve incredible years with the Toronto Raptors and I’m so grateful and thankful for the opportunity,” Ujiri said (hat tip to Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca for the transcription via Twitter). “I love you, Toronto. A great part, great journey in my life. It’s time. Great things come to an end.”

The Raptors remain on the hunt for a long-term Ujiri replacement, even with the 2025 offseason well under way. Recently extended general manager Bobby Webster is among the candidates expected to interview for his former boss’ job.

There’s more out of Toronto:

Raptors center Jakob Poeltl inked a massive four-year, $104MM contract extension to remain in Toronto through 2029/30. Lewenberg, who hears from a source that the final season is partially guaranteed, contends in a TSN.ca story that the 29-year-old big man has become one the league’s most underrated players. Lewenberg acknowledges that Poeltl is more of a traditional five, without a three-point shot. However, he adds that the big man has been a solid two-way contributor who has made the team better when he’s on the court and is clearly a building block Toronto hopes can steward the team into its next era of contention.
The Poeltl extension points to the Raptors’ need to pay a bit of a premium for quality talent, notes The Athletic’s Eric Koreen. Koreen considers the Poeltl deal to be something of an overpay for a mid-career, non-All-Star center with Poeltl’s aforementioned offensive limitations, but acknowledges it may just be the price of doing business for a Toronto team hoping to claw its way back to respectability.
Given that Poeltl, Scottie Barnes, Brandon Ingram, Immanuel Quickley and RJ Barrett are all signed to significant eight-figure contracts, Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca notes that Toronto is hopeful the more cost-effective young players on the roster will emerge as reliable depth pieces.
In case you missed it, former Raptors assistant coach Sergio Scariolo will wrap up his tenure as Spain’s national team head coach after EuroBasket this summer and will reunite with Real Madrid as the Spanish club’s head coach for 2025/26.

Raptors, Jakob Poeltl Finalize Extension

July 1st, 2025 at 1:43pm CST by Arthur Hill

July 8: The Raptors and Poeltl have officially finalized their new contract agreement, the team announced in a press release.

“Jakob has developed into one of the league’s top two-way centers and signing him to an extension was a top priority this offseason. As valuable as he is on the floor, we also really appreciate his leadership and experience off-court,” general manager Bobby Webster said in a statement. “Jak shares our goals – he wants to win as much we do, and we’re thrilled he’ll be a Raptor for seasons to come.”

“Toronto has always felt like home for me – I want to be a Raptor for life. Thanks to Bobby and team ownership for believing in me, and to the fans for their amazing support,” Poeltl added in a statement of his own. “We have a young core that’s full of potential and I believe we’re ready to take the next step. I can’t wait to get together back on the Scotiabank Arena court.”

July 1: Veteran big man Jakob Poeltl will sign a contract extension with the Raptors, sources tell Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link). Poeltl will pick up his $19.5MM player option for the 2026/27 season and add three more years to the deal.

According to Charania, the four years beyond ’25/26 will be worth $104MM in total, which means Poeltl is getting $84.5MM in new money on the three newly added seasons. That works out to roughly $28MM per season.

The deal includes a trade kicker, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link), who states that Poeltl hopes to play the rest of his career in Toronto. Jake Fischer of The Stein Line adds (via Twitter) that the final year is only partially guaranteed for $5MM, though that there are triggers that could increase that partial guarantee.

Agents Michael Tellem and Sam Goldfeder of Excel Sports considered several options for Poeltl, including an extension while declining the option, Charania adds (Twitter link), but the decision to opt in was made to give the Raptors more flexibility over the next two years.

The 29-year-old center put up career-best numbers this season, averaging 14.5 points and 9.6 rebounds in 29.6 minutes per night, but he was limited to 57 games. Josh Lewenberg of TSN Sports states (via Twitter) that Poeltl sat out games late in the season despite being healthy, which he likely wouldn’t have agreed to do unless he knew he had a new contract coming.

Poeltl has been the Raptors’ starting center since being acquired from San Antonio at the 2023 trade deadline. He’s a strong contributor on both ends of the court, shooting 62.7% from the field this season while posting 1.2 blocks and 1.2 steals per game.

Toronto refused to include Poeltl in recent trade talks with Phoenix involving Kevin Durant. The Suns reportedly asked for Poeltl and received a “firm” no from the Raptors.

The new contract means Poeltl can’t be traded for the next six months, according to cap expert Yossi Gozlan (Twitter link).

Free Agency Notes: Rockets, Ty. Jones, Heat, Raptors, More

June 30th, 2025 at 1:07pm CST by Rory Maher

The Rockets are diligently working secure meetings with Dorian Finney-Smith, Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Luke Kennard when free agency gets underway at 5:00 pm CT, according to Kelly Iko of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Houston is viewed as the frontrunner to land Finney-Smith after the veteran forward declined his $15.4MM player option and didn’t immediately work out a new deal with the Lakers. Marc Stein has reported multiple times that the Rockets are prepared to offer the 32-year-old a four-year deal worth most of the non-taxpayer mid-level exception.

Alexander-Walker, meanwhile, is expected to leave Minnesota after the Timberwolves agreed to lucrative new contracts with Naz Reid and Julius Randle. The Hawks have been rumored as the favorite to acquire the versatile guard, but several teams are said to be interested in his services.

Atlanta is also rumored to have interest in Kennard, who is the third-most accurate three-point shooter in NBA history at 43.8%. He has spent the past two-plus seasons in Memphis, but is expected to leave the Grizzlies in free agency.

Here are a few more free agency-related notes and rumors:

The Knicks could be a suitor for point guard Tyus Jones, per Ian Begley of SNY.tv (Twitter video link). “Tyus Jones is a name that I’m keeping an eye on,” Begley said. “Last summer, there was mutual interest…Jones was even willing to take a pay cut to come to New York. He ended up choosing Phoenix thinking it would be a very good situation for him — didn’t work out, so he’s back on the market.” New York can likely only offer the taxpayer mid-level exception or the veteran’s minimum, Begley notes.
The Magic also expressed prior interest in Tyus Jones and he could be a good fit with Orlando depending on how much money he’s seeking in free agency, according to Josh Robbins of The Athletic. If it’s not Jones, the Magic will likely look to add a different veteran point guard to improve their shooting and offense, Robbins writes.
Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald released a guide for some of the options the Heat could explore in free agency. According to Chiang, guard Dru Smith is expected to return to Miami on a two-way deal after he was issued a two-way qualifying offer, but he has yet to accept that QO. Smith was on the verge of being promoted to a standard contract last season before suffering a torn Achilles tendon in late December.
As of now, Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca expects the Raptors to be “fairly quiet” in free agency (Twitter link). Toronto will likely fill out the end of its roster with minimum-salary deals. A veteran extension for starting center Jakob Poeltl remains a possibility as well, Grange adds.
Zach Kram of ESPN.com lists seven “underrated players” who are about to hit the open market, including Chris Boucher, De’Anthony Melton and Gary Trent Jr.

Latest From Fischer, Stein: KD, Suns, Ware, Raptors, Knicks, Donovan

June 21st, 2025 at 10:37am CST by Rory Maher

The Suns continue to project confidence that a trade involving star forward Kevin Durant will be agreed to before June 25, the first night of the 2025 NBA draft, sources tell Jake Fischer and Marc Stein of The Stein Line (Substack link).

According to the authors, Phoenix’s front office — led by new general manager Brian Gregory — is “quietly hopeful” it will be able to land a first-round pick in a potential Durant deal to use next Wednesday. The team currently controls one late first-rounder (No. 29 overall) and one late second-rounder (No. 52).

Fischer and Stein point to the first-round selections controlled by the Raptors (No. 9), Rockets (No. 10), Timberwolves (No. 17) and Heat (No. 20) as examples of some of the picks the Suns have tried to acquire in Durant trade talks. But they also haven’t been thrilled with the offers they’ve received to this point, which is why a deal has yet to come together.

Here’s more from The Stein Line duo:

The Heat have been “firmly against” including big man Kel’el Ware in their offers to the Suns for Durant, sources tell Fischer and Stein. The 15th pick of last year’s draft, Ware was named to the All-Rookie Second Team in 2024/25 after a solid debut season. Phoenix is believed to be prioritizing draft capital from Miami with Ware evidently off-limits.
Fischer and Stein confirm that the Raptors also are unwilling to part with starting center Jakob Poeltl to acquire Durant. Assuming he isn’t moved, league sources tell The Stein Line that Toronto and the Austrian big man have mutual interest in a contract extension “in the near future.”
Toronto continues to be active in trade talks, particularly when it comes to the draft. According to Fischer and Stein, the Raptors have expressed an openness to moving down from No. 9, but have also discussed the possibility of trying to add a second lottery pick. No matter which pick(s) they ultimately control, rival teams believe the Raptors are focused on drafting a center.
The Knicks are not expected to hire a head coach until after next week’s draft, which will take place over two days (the second round is on Thursday), one person familiar with the matter told The Stein Line. Mike Brown and Taylor Jenkins interviewed for the job this week and both of the former head coaches are believed to have “levels of support” in New York. According to Fischer and Stein, Brown is said to be close with executive William Wesley, while Jenkins reportedly impressed the team in his interview.
Although New York was denied permission to interview Billy Donovan, the Bulls claim their extension talks with their head coach preceded that request, per Fischer and Stein. “They love him,” one source familiar with management’s thinking said of Chicago’s fondness for Donovan. Stein first reported that the Bulls and Donovan were finalizing an extension.
In case you missed it, Fischer and Stein also reported that multiple teams have shown interest in Suns wing Cody Martin as part of the Durant trade talks.

Raptors Reportedly Unwilling To Include Poeltl In Offer For Durant

June 20th, 2025 at 12:54pm CST by Luke Adams

The Raptors have interest in Kevin Durant and continue to monitor the market for the Suns star, but they would be unwilling to include starting center Jakob Poeltl in an offer for Durant, reports Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca.

Multiple sources confirmed to Grange that Poeltl wouldn’t be part of any trade the Raptors make for Durant. According to Grange, when Phoenix and Toronto spoke about Durant prior to February’s trade deadline, the Suns asked for Poeltl and received a “firm” no from the Raptors. That stance hasn’t changed in the months since then.

While there have been rumors this month about the Raptors being open to putting Poeltl in the table, Grange suggests those leaks are likely designed to increase bids from other suitors for Durant as the Suns look to maximize their return.

As Grange points out, since reacquiring Poeltl in 2023, the Raptors have struggled to compete when he’s not available. In 2024/25, for example, the club had a net rating of -0.7 during Poeltl’s 1,686 minutes of action, compared to a -6.2 mark in the 2,275 minutes he didn’t play. The gap between Toronto’s net rating with Poeltl on and off the court was even more extreme in ’23/24.

Poeltl, 29, posted new career highs of 14.5 points and 9.6 rebounds per game across 57 outings this past season, making 62.7% of his shots from the field and contributing 2.8 assists, 1.2 blocks, and 1.2 steals per night as well.

Since the Raptors are looking to build a roster capable of winning in 2025/26, trading Poeltl would run counter to that goal, leaving them with a significant hole to fill in the middle. The more likely scenario, Grange writes, is that Toronto works out a contract extension with the big man at some point before next season tips off.

Poeltl is owed $19.5MM in 2025/26, with a $19.5MM player option for ’26/27. His maximum extension would be worth up to about $122MM over four years if he declines that option as part of an agreement, or up to roughly $88MM over three years if he picks up the option and has the new deal begin in 2027.

The Raptors still have a handful of sizable contracts belonging to Brandon Ingram, Immanuel Quickley, and RJ Barrett that could be used for salary-matching purposes in a Durant deal. However, any combination of those two players would have a higher combined cap hit next season than Durant, which would complicate negotiations, since the Suns are operating above the second tax apron. They can’t take back more salary than they send out or aggregate multiple player salaries as long as they remain in second-apron territory.

Windhorst: Timberwolves Most Aggressive In Pursuit Of Kevin Durant

June 16th, 2025 at 11:59am CST by Arthur Hill

The Timberwolves have been the team most aggressively pursuing Kevin Durant in trade talks so far, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said this morning during an appearance on Get Up (Twitter video link). Windhorst notes that Minnesota made a strong push to acquire Durant from the Suns before the February trade deadline to team him with Anthony Edwards, and that effort has been renewed this offseason.

Windhorst identifies the Raptors and Clippers as teams that are “lurking” in the Durant trade saga, with Toronto offering the ninth pick in this year’s draft along with combinations of players in “multiple different scenarios.”

A list of Durant’s preferred destinations leaked over the weekend, with the Spurs, Rockets and Heat said to be the only teams he would considering signing an extension with. However, Windhorst hears that those three teams “have not made offers that have gotten Phoenix excited.” A report on Sunday indicated that the Suns are more focused on maximizing their return in a Durant trade than sending him someplace he wants to go.

Sources tell Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link) that the Raptors are willing to give up either RJ Barrett or Immanuel Quickley to upgrade their roster, and several league figures have said they would consider including Jakob Poeltl as well if it means getting Durant in return. Phoenix is reportedly seeking a starting-level center for next season, and the Durant deal might be the best opportunity to acquire one.

Fischer reports that Toronto’s No. 9 selection is being viewed around the league as “perhaps the most likely top-10 pick in the draft to be traded.” He adds that the Raptors would prefer not to move out of the first round completely, so the Suns’ choice at No. 29 could be part of the deal.

Phoenix would love to get Ivica Zubac, Fischer adds, but the Clippers consider him off limits. However, he notes that L.A. has two future first-round picks and some swap rights that it could offer along with Norman Powell, Bogdan Bogdanovic and Derrick Jones.

Fischer doesn’t expect the Grizzlies to get involved in the Durant chase, even though they have a fresh collection of draft assets from Sunday’s Desmond Bane trade. He notes that Memphis was reluctant to pursue Jimmy Butler before the deadline because of fears that he wouldn’t sign an extension, and Durant is probably viewed the same way.

Addressing the Suns’ desire for a center, Fischer states that the team has done background work on Celtics big man Kristaps Porzingis in case he’s made available. Fischer also hears that Phoenix would be interested in free agent Myles Turner if he doesn’t re-sign with the Pacers.