Overview
- Toronto said Poeltl returned to the city for targeted pain-relief treatment on his back and remains without a timeline to resume practice.
- He has not played since leaving a Dec. 21 game in Brooklyn, marking 17 consecutive missed games as of Monday.
- The Raptors have continued to win without their starting center, moving to 29-19 with a four-game streak that included a road win over Oklahoma City, per Heavy.
- Sandro Mamukelashvili has covered significant minutes at center, starting 10 games and averaging 16.6 points and 6.8 rebounds in those starts, according to Heavy.
- With Poeltl’s availability unclear, outside reports suggest Toronto could consider frontcourt help before the deadline, with Domantas Sabonis among speculated targets.