The Toronto Raptors have a lot to deal with in the 2023 NBA offseason. The roster for new head coach Darko Rajakovic may not be super different but it will need a lot of work in order to be playoff-caliber again.

While Fred VanVleet's free agency looms large over the team, there is also that of Jakob Poeltl, who was acquired in a midseason trade. The Raptors may lose Poeltl in free agency, according to Jonathan Givony of ESPN.

Givony writes that “the amount of activity coming out of the Toronto front office makes it difficult to project what they will do. It's also not clear whether they will be able to meet the financial demands of center Jakob Poeltl in free agency, who prefers not to be in a rebuilding situation next season, sources told ESPN.”

In his second stint with the Raptors, which began at the trade deadline after he was re-acquired from the San Antonio Spurs, Poeltl averaged 13.1 points, 9.1 rebounds and 2.2 assists while shooting 65.2 percent from the field. Toronto gave up Khem Birch, two of their own second-round picks (in 2023 and 2025) and their own 2024 first-round pick that is only protected through the top six.

Losing Poeltl in free agency would be an unmitigated disaster for the Raptors. Missing the playoffs after giving up a first-rounder for Poeltl is bad enough. To see him sign elsewhere, even if they can salvage a sign-and-trade, would be a massive failure that just about ensures they will lose their pick.

The Raptors don’t sound like a team willing to be bad enough to be in the bottom six in the NBA standings next season. It would require them to trade away all of their key veterans, which they are not reportedly interested in doing. Although Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby seem to have lots of interest, they don’t want to blow it up. Until they do that, there will very likely be seven teams worse than them, which would convey the pick to San Antonio.

If it doesn’t come down to the price of a new deal, the Raptors could lose Poeltl if he finds a spot on a better team. Toronto is in a big-time conundrum as the offseason begins to ramp up.