TORONTO – This Raptors front office has always understood the value of Jakob Poeltl and that hasn’t changed, even without the man in charge.

They made the Austrian centre the ninth-overall pick in the 2016 draft, reluctantly included him in the trade that brought Kawhi Leonard to Toronto and then reacquired him from San Antonio five years later. All the while, now former team president Masai Ujiri was one of his most ardent supporters, famously referring to the 7-footer as a top 10 centre following the 2022-23 campaign.

If there was any doubt how Ujiri felt about Poeltl, he made it clear in his final few months on the job.

Poeltl was highly coveted ahead of last February’s trade deadline, with multiple teams – most notably the Lakers – checking in and quickly being turned away. He was considered off limits in recent talks with the Phoenix Suns, centred on Kevin Durant. Putting together a compelling offer or even making the math work was always going to be tricky without Poeltl and his contract in the mix, but the Raptors were steadfast; the veteran big man was not available.

In his first order of business as the club’s primary decision maker, general manager Bobby Webster – Ujiri’s long-time top lieutenant – brokered the deal that will keep Poeltl in Toronto through the 2029-30 season. The four-year contract extension, initially reported by ESPN and confirmed by league sources, is worth $104 million and will see Poeltl pick up his $19.5 million player option for 2026-27. According to a source, the final year is partially guaranteed.

While the framework needed to be ironed out and didn’t come together until after the negotiation window opened Monday evening, an extension between Poeltl and the Raptors was widely considered to be inevitable long before Ujiri’s untimely firing last........

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