Raptors miss chance to bring Jakob Poeltl trade full circle with two-way deal

The Toronto Raptors decided against signing free agent point guard Rob Dillingham, instead using their final two-way roster spot on guard Kevin McCullar Jr. Writer Mike Luciano notes that signing Dillingham could have brought the original Jakob Poeltl trade full circle, as the draft pick Toronto traded to San Antonio was subsequently dealt to Minnesota to select Dillingham at No. 8 overall in 2024.

Luciano argues that Toronto chose an off-ball profile in McCullar over Dillingham's ball-dominant style. Dillingham struggled with efficiency across two seasons with the Timberwolves before being traded to the Chicago Bulls, who later moved on from him. The piece concludes that the San Antonio Spurs ultimately emerged as the clear winners of the multi-team transaction chain.