Spurs Trade Rumors: Jakob Poeltl, PJ Washington Deal Discussed with Hornets

The San Antonio Spurs may not be done dealing ahead of the NBA trade deadline.

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported Thursday the Spurs are acquiring Goran Dragic and a protected 2022 first-round pick from the Toronto Raptors, with Thad Young and Drew Eubanks among the pieces going out. Dragic is expected to be bought out, per Wojnarowski.

HoopHype's Michael Scotto has since reported San Antonio has discussed a swap with the Charlotte Hornets involving Jakob Poeltl and PJ Washington.

The Hornets have a glaring need for a center, with Scotto reporting Charlotte has also looked into a deal for Indiana Pacers big man Myles Turner. There's little depth at the position behind Mason Plumlee.

Poeltl is averaging 13.1 points, 9.0 rebounds and 1.7 blocks through 45 appearances. The 7'1" Austrian is also great in the pick and roll, making him a nice fit alongside Hornets star LaMelo Ball in those situations.

The question for Charlotte is whether Poeltl is good enough to justify the kind of price tag Scotto reported. In addition to Washington, the Hornets would want 2021 first-round pick Kai Jones and a first-round selection.

Washington on his own is a fairly valuable asset. The 23-year-old is averaging 9.9 points and 5.5 rebounds while shooting 38.6 percent from the perimeter. While he's not a franchise cornerstone, he's good enough to slot nicely into a number of frontcourts across the league.

The Hornets would also be giving up on Jones after seeing him for just 46 minutes of action while sacrificing some of its draft flexibility down the road.

Charlotte is looking to end a five-year playoff drought, and at 28-28, it is only 3.5 games back of the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference, which guarantees a first-round berth. Executing a win-now trade is understandable because the franchise is in a position to contend.

However, the Hornets would be betting a lot—perhaps too much—on the idea that Poeltl can meaningfully raise their postseason ceiling.