Is Scottie Barnes ready to lead Raptors as trade deadline moves approach?

The Toronto Raptors are widely expected to completely upend the state of their franchise and make some roster-altering trades before the 2023 NBA trade deadline passes. Once the dust settles, Scottie Barnes will likely have an enhanced role that will make him one of the more valuable players on the team.

Barnes has been the one name that Toronto has refused to entertain a trade for. Considering the 2021-22 Rookie of the Year has improved his fourth-quarter performances and overall playmaking in his second season, his All-Star ceiling is still very much in reach. Barnes reminded everyone just how special he is in a win against the Memphis Grizzlies.

Barnes scored 11 of his 16 points in the fourth quarter, hitting a game-winning shot over Grizzlies center and expected Defensive Player of the Year frontrunner Jaren Jackson Jr. to seal the win. This is an encouraging sign for a team that desperately needs some positive mojo after a brutal stretch of ineffective basketball.

No matter who ends up going at the trade deadline, Toronto will be transitioning (at least partially) to a Barnes-led era. That is quite a lot to put on someone as young as he is, given Toronto’s history of winning, but he’s shown enough in his career to warrant that added pressure.

Scottie Barnes must lead the Toronto Raptors.

While Barnes and Pascal Siakam were expected to be the dynamic duo that carries this team to success in the future, a report from the Ringer suggests that Siakam is also garnering some trade interest around the league. There is still a non-zero chance that Barnes will be the last man standing when the deadline passes.

While Barnes’ play has gotten back on track lately, he is not a perfect player by any stretch at this point in time. He can still go invisible offensively for large chunks of games, as evidenced by the fact he made just one shot in the first three quarters against Memphis.

The key to success for Barnes once his role is elevated will be starting off hot and sustaining that level of play for four quarters. On top of that, Toronto needs to see maturity from the 21-year-old. A group of battle-scarred veterans will be looking to him to carry the load when the chips are down. Is he capable of answering the call?

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The Raptors will likely get a massive windfall from trading one of their starters while adding another Top 10 pick in the NBA Draft. However, this will still be Barnes’ franchise in the future. After playing a role for his first two years, Scottie is ready to unleash his full potential.