We're officially winding down the final days of the offseason. In fact, other teams around the league have already started the early stages of this new 2025-26 campaign with their respective media days. Toronto's media day is coming up soon, and with that, we'll get a bit more insight into some of the key storylines that have developed over the summer. We might even learn some new details about ongoing narratives or hear perspectives from important team members and staff.
And on the subject of ongoing Raptors narratives, it seems like the idea of RJ Barrett being an expendable asset for Toronto has never really gone away. He's often the subject of trade talks, even long after the initial reports that he was on the trade block. Those reports first surfaced after Toronto's aggressive trade deadline pursuit of Brandon Ingram, and ever since, the chatter about Barrett's future with the team has continued to circulate in NBA discussion circles.
RJ Barrett seems like the most likely candidate on Raptors' trade block
Barrett is wrapping up the last two years of his initial four-year, $120 million extension with the Knicks, which he signed back in the 2022 offseason. This season, he'll earn around $27 million, and in the 2026-27 season, that jumps to about $29 million. Given all that, RJ Barrett is among the many veterans across the NBA who are eligible for extensions.
And one NBA analyst, Zach Lowe, has already shared his thoughts on how he thinks that situation might play out: "Toronto has RJ Barrett. I'm a no on that."
Whether that's Lowe just spitballing his opinions or not, many fans and analysts have good reason to believe that Barrett will not be a top priority for Toronto in the long run. Though, I'd still bet that Toronto is pretty grateful for what Barrett brought last season. He contributed 21.1 points per game on 46.8% shooting from the field, 35.0% from three, along with 6.3 rebounds, 5.4 assists, and nearly a steal per game (0.8) over 58 appearances.
It's not so much about his ability as a player, but more the unfortunate reality for Barrett is that Toronto has quickly taken over the roles he was filling last season. I've mentioned in other pieces, like when I looked at Barrett's potential as a high-scoring sixth man, or in analyses where other NBA commentators have suggested the 25-year-old can still thrive given the new roster additions — but when it comes to smart basketball business strategy, it seems Toronto is open to shedding salary, and Barrett's is likely the first to come to mind.
Rumors and chatter around the league point strongly in that direction, and it’s really just a matter of when, not if, he’ll be traded. Barrett has a wealth of diverse talents, and as a Canadian basketball star, he brings a sense of national pride to the team. It would be a great story if he could somehow achieve championship success with the Raptors someday, but that simply doesn't seem to be in the cards.