Struggling east team can admit trading for ex-Spurs' big man was a mistake

The San Antonio Spurs are coming. Victor Wembanyama is literally breaking the game. The roster is far from a finished product, but Wemby may lead them to the postseason anyways. The Spurs are currently tenth in the West and are a matchup nobody wants in a one-off Play-In Tournament game.

San Antonio has not made the playoffs since 2019 and won their last postseason series in 2017. This is by far the longest drought in franchise history. The Spurs added Chris Paul, but have issues the aging point guard cannot fix. Wembanyama may be skilled enough to force them over the hump, but the front office has work to do to build a serious title threat.

The Spurs certainly do not regret trading their starting center just months before winning the Wemby lottery. It was a genius move of selling high, and things have not worked for the organization that acquired him.

Raptors can admit trading for Jakob Poeltl was a mistake

Toronto was four games under .500 and wanted to push for the playoffs heading into the 2023 trade deadline. They had Pascal Siakam, OG Anunoby, Fred VanVleet, and Scottie Barnes. The Raptors felt like acquiring a quality big man would get them back to the playoffs.

They gave up Khem Birch, a 2024 first-round draft pick, and two second-rounders to get Poeltl from the Spurs. It was a surprise trade that put pressure on Toronto to win immediately.

Things did not go as planned. The Raptors finished the regular season 41-41 but were bounced in the first Play-In Tournament game by the Bulls. Toronto traded Siakam and Anuoby during the 2023-24 season and entered a full-scale rebuild after giving Poeltl a new four-year $78 million contract.

The Raptors put a top-six protection on the first-round pick but lost it in the 2024 lottery. They wound up giving San Antonio the eighth overall selection, which the Spurs flipped to Minnesota. It was a nightmare scenario for a rebuilding franchise to give up a top-eight selection.

Poeltl is back in trade rumors (subscription required) as the Raptors have the third-worst record in the NBA. The 29-year-old big man may join a contender before the deadline, but Toronto is unlikely to recoup the price they paid. Trading for him did not move the needle and forced the Raptors to give up three draft picks. It was a regrettable move, and the franchise is now looking at a slow climb back to contention.

The San Antonio Spurs won the lottery just a few months later. They selected Victor Wembanyama and amassed a ton of draft capital in other moves. The franchise is primed to contend for the foreseeable future. There are zero regrets about the Jakob Poeltl trade from their side.

It is a different story in Toronto, and fans will be watching closely to see if they move their starting center before the Feb. 6 deadline. It may cushion the blow, but mistakes were certainly made by the Raptors.