After a return to the playoffs and a breakout series from Scottie Barnes, who took his offense to another level in the postseason, it seemed reasonable to expect that the Raptors would be active on the trade market. They control all of their first-round picks and most of their second-round picks going forward, and have contracts to match a star’s salary.Â
According to reporting by Jake Fischer, Marc Stein, and Michael Scotto, the Raptors have been looking to make a big splash on the trade market and get Barnes a certified co-star, who can help take the team to the next level. They pursued LaMelo Ball, but the Minnesota Timberwolves got a deal with the Charlotte Hornets done first. They have also reportedly shown interest in the other two big fish on the trade market: Jaylen Brown and Kawhi Leonard.Â
Their pursuit of big-time stars that would cost them most of their assets shows, above all else, a trust in Scottie Barnes’s readiness for the next level.Â
The Raptors seem to believe that Barnes is ready for a deeper playoff run
Losing Game 7 to the Cleveland Cavaliers was disappointing for the Raptors, but getting there alone was an accomplishment. The Cavs were the more veteran, more proven team, and the Raptors were without two starters after Game 5. Immanuel Quickley missed the whole series, and Brandon Ingram had to sit out the last two games with a heel injury that required surgery a few weeks ago.Â
The Raptors’ five leaders in minutes once Ingram went down were Barnes, RJ Barrett, Jamal Shead, Ja’Kobe Walter, and Collin Murray-Boyles. That’s two second-year players, a rookie, and a 24-year-old star who had never had to be that in the postseason going up against a team led by Donovan Mitchell, James Harden, Jarrett Allen, and Evan Mobley.Â
Barnes was a huge reason why the Raptors were able to challenge the Cavs. He averaged 24.1 points on 50.9% shooting from the field and 38.1% from deep, 6.1 rebounds, 8.6 assists, 1.7 blocks, and 1.1 steals over the seven first-round games.Â
He answered every question the Raptors may have had about his ability to reach another level as a scorer and step up when the team needed him the most. It quickly became clear that with a high-level scorer who is comfortable being a go-to option on offense at any time next to him, Barnes could take this team much further. The organization’s effort to find that offensive player proves that they believe the same.Â
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