Poeltl joins Delon Wright in Toronto; selected 9th overall in NBA draft


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SALT LAKE CITY — Former University of Utah teammates reunite.

Jakob Poeltl was selected No. 9 overall to the Toronto Raptors in Thursday’s NBA draft, joining former Utah teammate Delon Wright. The Kareem Abdul-Jabaar award winner and Pac-12 Player of the Year was seen as one of the best big men in this year’s draft.

"First of all, I’m so excited that the Toronto Raptors put their trust in me," Poeltl told KSL.com. "I think I can be a guy who’s out there always fighting, always trying to get better. I think I’m far from done being a player, I can improve a lot I feel like. I hope I can help this organization in the next couple of years.

“I’m super stoked about that," Poeltl said about playing with Wright. "It’s so great to know that I’m already going to have somebody there that I know that’s my friend, that I’ve talked to a lot about this process and he’s told me only good things about Toronto. It’s an unbelieveable feeling right now.”

Poeltl made significant improvements in his sophomore season at Utah, where he averaged 17.2 points, 9.1 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.6 blocks per game. He finished the season with a 64.6 percent effective field goal percentage and a 66.6 percent true shooting percentage.

NBA scouts see Poeltl as a viable center in the league, but believe he needs to add more of an outside jump shot to be a more well-rounded player in the league.

Toronto head coach Dwane Casey told media he was happy with Poeltl's "NBA-ready body" and his work ethic.

“He’s a gym rat, so that’s what’s exciting about him, is the fact that you know the young man is going to work, come put his body on people, excellent screener, been well-coached at Utah, runs an NBA style of offence at Utah which is very impressive.”

The Raptors currently have two centers — starter Jonas Valanciunas and Lucas Nogueira — on contract for next season; however, Nogueira fell out of the team’s rotation late in the season. The Raptors drafting Poeltl likely indicates that the front office will let free agent Bismack Biyombo go.

Former University of Utah forward-center Jakob Poeltl talks about being selected ninth overall to the Toronto Raptors in the 2016 NBA draft. (Photo: Andy Larsen, KSL.com)
Former University of Utah forward-center Jakob Poeltl talks about being selected ninth overall to the Toronto Raptors in the 2016 NBA draft. (Photo: Andy Larsen, KSL.com)

Casey said Poeltl's speed was one of the things that makes him most attractive as a big.

“His foot speed is a little bit quicker than (Valanciunas) at the same stage. That’s what struck me doing the cone drills, he was huge as far as his speed and quickness.”

Although Poeltl loved the college life, he decided to forego his junior and senior season at Utah to pursue an NBA career and become the first Austrian drafted.

“I think right now this is just the next step I want to make in my basketball career,” Poeltl said at a press conference in April. “I don’t regret anything about coming (to Utah) or about staying a second year. I think it was an unbelievable journey. I’ve really enjoyed it and this is why this decision was so hard on me because I really wanted to stay for two more years.”

Poeltl said he wants to see a bigger interest in basketball in Austria and hoped that being drafted would spawn a shift in thinking about basketball in his native country.

“I think that’s the most rewarding part of this fact that I’m the first Austrian to make it to the NBA,” Poeltl said in April. “I really hope that this will boost basketball in Austria and make it more powerful and make more kids play basketball — up the level of basketball in Austria a little bit.”

Poeltl is the second player from the University of Utah drafted to the NBA in the last 10 years. Last season, star guard Delon Wright was selected No. 20 overall to the Raptors, making him the first player drafted from the University of Utah since Andrew Bogut in 2005.

As the ninth-overall pick, Poeltl is expected to make $2.25 million his first season, $2.35 million his second season and $2.45 million his third season, with fourth- and fifth-year options.

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