Poeltl says he'll evaluate his long term future with the Spurs following end of next season

SAN ANTONIO — San Antonio Spurs' Jakob Poeltl will be entering his final contract year in San Antonio once the 2022-23 NBA season starts.

And if he remains a Spur for the full season, it remains an open question if he'll stay in San Antonio beyond that he said to Austria's APA.

"It's possible that I'll stay with the Spurs for the rest of the year," said Poeltl. "From the current perspective, the chances are very good that I will play for the Spurs next season."

With the Spurs in a complete rebuild and an eye toward the future, Poeltl could be an interesting trade chip for San Antonio to use to add more draft picks to their war chest or acquire players.

He is currently on an expiring contract (due a little over $9.3 million next season), young (26 years old), and one of the better NBA centers.

Last season, he saw career-high ins several categories in points per game (13.5), rebounds (9.3), and assists (2.8).

He is San Antonio's defensive anchor and drew praise from 76ers' MVP candidate, Joel Embiid.

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"I can only guess, but I'm getting the feeling that maybe it will stay that way," Poeltl said, adding to his belief he will not get traded.

Overall, he isn't worried about his final contract season with the Spurs.

In an interview with Austria's LAOLA1, he understands the NBA is a business and isn't thinking about his contract situation right now. 

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"I'm not worried. The NBA is very competitive. No question. You should never feel too safe," Poeltl said.

The Spurs big man is confident about his NBA future whether with the Spurs or not and admits he can provide an impact with any team.

"My game has always not been based on scoring the most points, but on trying to be as effective as possible in helping the team win," Poeltl said. "That's what counts. Especially for teams that really want to play for a championship."

He makes it clear that he wants to remain a Spur. He likes the team, the franchise, his teammates, and the city and can envision himself staying with the Spurs beyond next season.

However, he also understands the team is rebuilding and will not be in title contention for years.

"I would like to be successful with such a young team. I'm aware that on paper we're not there to be upfront in the playoffs. It will be quite a challenge to even get there," he said.

The NBA is a business and even though he believes he will remain a Spur for all of next season, he remains an asset the team can use if they are looking to trade.

There were reports the Spurs spoke with other teams about dealing Poeltl so it remains an open question if that is still on the table for the rebuilding franchise.

"Yes, I was quite aware that it wasn't far away, or at least, there were a lot of requests," said Poeltl about trade requests last season.

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For now, he is still in San Antonio and will be looking forward to help the Spurs in their rebuild.

And if he does stay in San Antonio for his full, final contract season, afterward he admits he'll look at his NBA future and if remaining a Spur makes sense for his NBA career.

"I will take a close look at the situation next summer, whether it makes sense or not," Poeltl said.

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