TORONTO – The Toronto Raptors have locked in their starting center for the foreseeable future. According to ESPN, center Jakob Poeltl has agreed to a four-year, $104 million extension that will keep him under contract through the 2029-30 season. Jakob Poeltl’s extension marks another critical piece of the Raptors’ effort to end its rebuild and return to playoff relevance.
Raptors Re-sign Lottery Pick, Jakob Poeltl To Four-Year $104 Million Extension
Poeltl will exercise his $19.5 million player option for the 2026-27 season and tack on three more years to that deal. His agents, Michael Tellem and Sam Goldfeder of Excel Sports, negotiated several scenarios, but both sides agreed that an opt-in-and-extend gave Toronto the most roster flexibility in the coming seasons.
Toronto Raptors center Jakob Poeltl has agreed on a four-year, $104 million contract extension with the franchise through 2029-30, sources tell ESPN. Poeltl will pick up his 2026-27 player option at $19.5M and add three additional years to his deal. pic.twitter.com/wBHnoF5vUV
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A Reliable Presence In The Paint
Poeltl delivered his best season as a pro last year. He logged career highs in minutes (29.6), points (14.5) and rebounds (9.6) per game. He also shot an impressive 63% from the field, which ranked fifth in the league among qualified players.
Jakob Poeltl’s extension keeps one of the NBA’s most efficient big men on the Raptors. Remarkably, Poeltl is one of only three players to shoot at least 60% from the floor in each of the last eight seasons, joining Rudy Gobert and DeAndre Jordan in that rare company, courtesy of ESPN statistics.
He has shot 64% in his five seasons as a Raptor — the best mark in franchise history for players with over 500 attempts. Poeltl’s touch extends beyond dunks. He ranks top-10 leaguewide in shooting percentage on floaters and near the basket, per GeniusIQ data.
Poeltl’s Game Grows With Raptors’ Youth Movement
The 29-year-old center isn’t just scoring easy buckets. He contributes in ways that help Toronto’s young core flourish. Last season, Poeltl finished top-10 in the NBA in screen assists per game and points generated from screen assists. Poeltl’s Extension ensures Scottie Barnes, RJ Barrett and newly acquired Brandon Ingram have an elite screener who opens lanes and creates scoring chances.
Rebuild Gathers Momentum
Toronto has missed the playoffs since 2022, enduring back-to-back losing seasons including a 30-52 campaign in 2024-25. But the Raptors front office believes Jakob Poeltl’s presence will stabilize the middle of the floor as they try to climb back up the Eastern Conference standings.
The Raptors now boast a promising group led by rising star Barnes and Canadian wing Barrett. At February’s trade deadline, Toronto swung a deal for former All-Star Ingram. Though Ingram sat out the remainder of the season recovering from an ankle injury, he will form a dynamic duo with Barnes once healthy.
Toronto also drafted South Carolina’s Collin Murray-Boyles ninth overall last week. Scouts view him as a high-upside defensive prospect who could help Toronto regain its defensive edge.
A Window In The East
The Eastern Conference landscape offers hope. The Celtics, and Pacers each face roster and injury questions heading into 2025-26. The Raptors see a chance to break back into the postseason if they can get healthy, develop their young core and maximize the value ofJakob Poeltl’s extension.
By re-signing Poeltl, Toronto commits to a reliable center who fits perfectly with Barnes’ playmaking and Ingram’s scoring. For a franchise that has quietly stockpiled pieces, the next step is clear: transform potential into results and make Scotiabank Arena a playoff venue again.
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