The Toronto Raptors will be facing the Indiana Pacers to end the week. Jakob Poeltl has missed extended time because of a back injury, but he was finally listed on the injury report as questionable with a return to competition reconditioning. While Poeltl has since been ruled out, he's “very close” to a return, according to Sportsnet's Blake Murphy.
Even with his absence, the Raptors have been playing well and are one of the better teams in the Eastern Conference. If they can get Poeltl back soon, they may be even better.
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Jakob Poeltl's injury status vs. Pacers
When Poeltl was listed as questionable against the Pacers, it was the first time in a while due to his nagging back issues. Even though he's not coming back for Sunday's game, it's a great sign for Toronto that he's on the verge of returning to the floor.
The Raptors have played small in Poeltl's absence by inserting rookie Collin Murray-Boyles in the starting lineup He has played well at the position, and Toronto is still winning games.
It did seem as if the Raptors wanted some real interior help, and they were looking for a center at the trade deadline. Toronto was most connected to Domantas Sabonis at the deadline, but Poeltl's contract was a sticking point in trade talks. There have already been rumors that these trade talks could be revisited in the offseason.
There were also rumors that the Raptors were looking to acquire Walker Kessler at the deadline, but of course, to no avail. With Kessler being a restricted free agent in the offseason, Toronto will still have a chance to sign him. However, the Raptors will have to offer a contract that the Utah Jazz are not willing to match, and it's unclear just how high that number would be.
It'll be interesting to see what the Raptors do in the offseason and if they plan on improving their frontcourt. As of now, the hope is that they can get Poeltl back and playing at peak form.
