NBA: Spurs pull option on Pöltl

The San Antonio Spurs have bound Austria’s legionnaire Jakob Pöltl to the club for an extra year – even before he has played a single game for the Texans. The Spurs announced on Thursday (local time) that they had drawn the option for the 2019/20 season.

After two years with the Toronto Raptors, Pöltl had been transferred to San Antonio in the summer. The first preparatory games with his new team will start on Sunday. Pöltl will earn around 2.95 million dollars (approx. 2.5 million euros) in the coming season and around 3.75 million dollars (3.2 million euros) in the following year as a result of the option taken.

The regular season begins for San Antonio on 17 October with a home match against Minnesota Timberwolves. Pöltl can expect a few seasons behind the Spanish centre veteran Pau Gasol at the five-time champion, who has changed his squad considerably in the summer. Last season, the 22-year-old Viennese player averaged 6.9 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game for Toronto.

In addition to Pöltl, the Spurs also pulled the option on the fourth contract year for their playmaker of the same age, Dejounte Murray. The Point Guard was selected as number 29 in the NBA draft 2016, clearly behind Pöltl (9th), but has since become a starter. Derrick White (24 years old) is now also bound until 2020, according to club figures such as Pöltl and Murray.