Raptors center out indefinitely

Raptors center Jakob Poeltl has been ruled out indefinitely due to a left ankle sprain, the team announced today in a press release.

While there’s currently no timeline for Poeltl’s return, the Raptors say he’ll be reevaluated in two weeks, so it seems safe to assume he’ll be out until at least late January and possibly beyond that.

Poeltl’s injury occurred during the third quarter of Sunday’s victory over Golden State. As Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca tweets, the big man rolled it when he stepped on Pascal Siakam‘s foot while attempting corral a loose ball. Poeltl remained in the game but won’t continue to play through the injury going forward.

Poeltl, who began his career as a Raptor in 2016, was sent to San Antonio in 2018’s Kawhi Leonard trade, then was reacquired by Toronto at the 2023 deadline.

He signed a new four-year, $78M contract with the organization over the summer and has averaged 10.6 points, 8.3 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 1.4 blocks in 26.5 minutes per game across 36 appearances so far this season. His 68.5% field goal percentage is a career high.

The Raptors traded away Precious Achiuwa in their OG Anunoby deal with New York and have been missing Christian Koloko all season due to a respiratory issue, so their frontcourt depth is somewhat thin at the moment.

With Poeltl out, Chris Boucher and Jontay Porter are prime candidates for increased roles, while Thaddeus Young could also get a shot at rotation minutes. It’s worth noting too that Toronto has an open spot on its 15-man roster and could add another big man on a short-term deal.