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Potential RJ Barrett trade could quickly help address key Raptors weakness

It’s a chance to improve the spacing in the starting lineup.
ByElaine Blum|
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Mar 25, 2026; Inglewood, California, USA; Toronto Raptors forward RJ Barrett (9) moves the ball up court against the Los Angeles Clippers during the first half at Intuit Dome. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
Mar 25, 2026; Inglewood, California, USA; Toronto Raptors forward RJ Barrett (9) moves the ball up court against the Los Angeles Clippers during the first half at Intuit Dome. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto recently reported that RJ Barrett has drawn trade interest. Barrett is on an expiring contract and fresh off an outstanding playoff run that boosted his trade value. Despite his Toronto ties, he is a natural trade asset for the Raptors this offseason, and the fact that there is actual interest only makes it more likely that they will move him in an effort to raise the team’s ceiling. 

Trading Barrett should help improve the Raptors’ 3-point shooting. He was one of three Raptors starters who either didn’t shoot from behind the arc at all or did so with middling success. Jakob Poeltl didn’t attempt a single 3-pointer, and Scottie Barnes shot 30.4% while Barrett made 33.9% of his attempts from long range. That made the spacing in the starting lineup very tricky and put a lot of pressure on Immanuel Quickley and Brandon Ingram as 3-point shooters. 

If the Raptors trade Barrett, they have an opportunity to insert Ja’Kobe Walter, who shot 40.9% on 3.7 3-point attempts per game in the regular season, into the starting lineup or make getting a floor-spacing starter in return a priority in any trade that sends Barrett out of Toronto. One trade may not be enough to solve the Raptors’ overall 3-point shooting problem, but it could quickly improve the spacing in the starting lineup. 

Of course, it’s important to note here that replacing Barrett isn’t just about 3-point shooting and floor spacing. If Barrett is headed out in a trade, the Raptors need to replace almost 20 points per game, and that’s no easy task. 

The Raptors need to get better 3-point shooting this offseason

The Raptors finished the regular season 21st in 3-point percentage and 26th in 3-point attempts per game. The only playoff teams that took fewer 3-pointers were the Pistons and Rockets, and the only playoff teams that shot a worse percentage were Portland, Orlando, and Philadelphia. None of those teams made it out of the second round. 

If the Raptors want to become a better offensive team and capitalize on their strong defense, they need to add 3-point shooting, whether that’s through internal improvement, in free agency, in the draft, or via trade—or, ideally, through all of those avenues. 

3-point shooting may not be everything, but it matters. All four teams that made it to the conference semifinals this season ranked in the top half in 3-point percentage. All five of the last NBA champions ranked at least eighth (Ironically, the 2021-22 Warriors with Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson drove the mark down from top six to top eight) in 3-point percentage in the regular season.

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