Bobby Webster’s latest Jakob Poeltl update should calm some of the noise around the Raptors’ center situation heading into 2026-27.
For a player who spent much of last season looking like a possible trade candidate, Poeltl is still very much in the conversation for Toronto’s starting job. Collin Murray-Boyles made a real case with his rookie breakout, but there’s still a strong chance Poeltl opens next season in that role.
That’s the reality Webster helped reinforce when he spoke with reporters about the team’s health before training camp next week. Asked specifically about Poeltl, whose back issues were a major storyline last season, Webster sounded upbeat: “ Yeah, I mean Jak looks good.
You know, obviously time will tell as far as we ramp up to training camp, but you'll see he's in good spirits, good shape. I think like anybody can appreciate, I think going home is good for anyone and I think he's coming back with the motivation and willingness to keep his body as healthy as he possibly can.”
That matters because Poeltl’s 2024-25 season was a sharp step down from the year before. He appeared in just 46 games last season and finished with averages of 10.7 points, 7.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 0.9 steals and 0.7 blocks in roughly 25 minutes per night.
Compare that with his standout 2024-25 campaign, when he posted career highs across several categories: 14.5 points, 9.6 rebounds, 1.2 steals and 29.6 minutes per game. He also added 2.8 assists and 1.2 blocks in that season.
That drop-off is a big reason Raptors fans spent so much time wondering whether Poeltl had become a player Toronto should move on from. Last year, he often looked like a version of himself that didn’t inspire much confidence, especially once the playoffs arrived.
Still, there’s room for patience here. The injury-hit season he just went through could easily be treated as an outlier, and Webster’s comments suggest the organization isn’t ready to close the door on him.
At the end of the day, Poeltl’s path back starts with one thing: staying on the floor. If he can get healthy and string together 50, 55 or more games while giving Toronto solid minutes in the 20-to-25 range, the Raptors will have something to work with - whether that means keeping him around or revisiting trade possibilities later on.
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Leonards arrival gives the Raptors another layer of intrigue because any leap from here will be judged against the upgrade in talent as much as the coaching itself. Toronto could also have award chatter elsewhere, with Collin Murray-Boyles in the Sixth Man of the Year mix and Scottie Barnes in the Defensive Player of the Year conversation, which means Rajakovic may have a hard time separating his work from a roster that suddenly has several headline possibilities. [Read more 🡒]