Raptors: 3 reasons for positivity after Kevin Durant saga ends
By Mike Luciano
2. It’s Scottie Barnes time
Barnes was reportedly the biggest sticking point in Durant negotiations between Toronto and Brooklyn. The Nets didn’t want to trade someone like Durant without getting a long-term piece like Barnes in return, and Toronto didn’t want to give him up for a player as old and injury-prone as KD.
The fact that Toronto held their ground in a situation where many weaker-minded executives would have caved speaks to how highly they regard Barnes and his ability as a scorer and defender. Look for Scottie to improve upon his 15.3 points per game that he amassed as a rookie.
Toronto Raptors: Scottie Barnes is in for a big year.
Barnes has already been hard at work remaking his game as an all-around scorer, and the Raptors will likely give him every opportunity to showcase his stuff. Toronto has tied a big part of their future to Scottie alone, which is wise given how he performed.
Imagine, if you will, the horror of seeing Barnes in a black and white jersey for the next decade, putting together some All-Star appearances at the expense of a Raptors team who could have been saddled with an unsightly contract. Luckily, it seems like more cool, reasonable heads prevailed.