The Toronto Raptors have been a pleasant surprise so far on the 2025-26 NBA season, currently sitting at 28-19 ahead of Sunday's road game against the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Raptors have been without big man Jakob Poeltl in recent weeks due to a back issue, and on Sunday, the team got an update that was not exactly of the positive variety.
“The Raptors say Jakob Poeltl remains without a defined recovery timetable as he manages ‘ongoing back issues,'” reported NBA insider Marc Stein on X, formerly Twitter.
The Raptors announced in a statement that Poeltl “returned to Toronto and has received targeted pain relief treatment. A return timeline has not yet been established, and his status will be updated when he returns to practice.”
Poeltl last played in a late December game against the Brooklyn Nets, exiting that game during the first quarter.
Overall, it remains to be seen how Poeltl's injury troubles may or may not affect the Raptors' strategy at the upcoming NBA trade deadline. Toronto is thought by many to be buyers as opposed to sellers on the trade market, with numerous high-profile names having been linked to the franchise over the last several weeks.
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If Poeltl is going to be out for an extended period of time, it would certainly make sense for the Raptors front office to consider adding some frontcourt depth. Even if Poeltl was healthy, the center position was arguably the weakest on the depth chart for Toronto, and could certainly use an upgrade.
Still, the Raptors have to like where they are at this point in the season. Last year's trade for Brandon Ingram has turned out to work well for the franchise, and the team is also seeing solid contributions from role players like RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley.
In any case, the Raptors and Thunder are slated to tip off at 7:00 pm ET.