On the Hoop Collective Podcast, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said it was unlikely that Jakob Poeltl would sign a contract extension with the Spurs because he could make more money in free agency.
“Jakob Poeltl is in the final year of his contract,” Windhorst said. “From what I’m told, the Spurs discussed a contract extension with him, but he’s limited by how much he can sign for. It’s the same reason they traded Dejounte Murray. They did such a good job on the contract that it almost works against you because when you want to sign a player, the player wants more than you can give him because you’re limited on how much of a raise you can give in an extension.”
Poeltl is eligible to sign an extension for roughly $14M a season, but the big man wants to bet on himself and that’s probably the right decision. The 26-year-old center is off to a strong start to the season in San Antonio, averaging 14.1 points, 11.3 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 0.9 blocks. One thing to watch is whether or not this decision by Poeltl will send him elsewhere, as it’s no secret that he has a lot of admirers around the league. If the Spurs can get some serious draft capital in return, they could add to their stockpile of picks and continue in their race to the bottom for Victor Wembanyama.
