Jakob Poeltl – San Antonio Spurs

It is a long-shot, but Jakob Poeltl is another name that the Hornets should keep an eye on. The San Antonio Spurs are a young team searching for an identity right now and they could be willing to make some trades ahead of the deadline. 

Thaddeus Young is the obvious choice to be traded from the Spurs this season, but Jakob Poeltl has seen trade interest in the past. He is a focal point in the Spurs attack right now, but San Antonio likes what they have in Drew Eubanks and Jock Landale in their frontcourt as well. 

Poeltl, who is set to make $18.1M through next season, is only 26-years-old and has turned himself into one of the most underrated centers in the league this year. 

In 34 games for the Spurs, Jakob Poeltl has averaged 12.4 points, 8.8 rebounds, 1.4 blocks and has shot 59.7% from the floor. He cannot spread the floor like Turner and Wood, but Poeltl is a terrific, big-bodied rebounder that is also starting to come into his own as a rim-protector. 

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The Spurs have begun their rebuild utilizing athletic talents like Dejounte Murray and Keldon Jonhson, which is exactly why PJ Washington could be of interest to them. 

PJ Washington is not the most athletic power-forward in the league, but he is definitely an above-average athlete that can fill many different needs for a growing franchise like the Spurs. From being able to play on the perimeter to even being a “small-ball” center, Washington has the length to be an effective building block in San Antonio. 

Jakob Poeltl is a better rebounder than that of Mason Plumlee and is on a much more affordable contract than that of Myles Turner and Christian Wood, making him another possible big man target for the Hornets this season should they look to leverage PJ Washington.