When Scottie Barnes didn’t make one of the three All-NBA teams after last season, it caused a lot of outrage among Raptors fans—especially after he also didn’t make the All-Defensive First Team despite being one of the most versatile and effective defenders in the league.
Following the All-NBA announcements, Sam Vecenie said on the Game Theory Podcast that he thought it came down to “people don’t want the Raptors.” There’s something to that argument. The Raptors had just two games on U.S. national TV during the regular season, and Barnes didn’t consistently play in front of that kind of audience until the playoffs.
The Raptors also don’t have a ton of games on national TV next season with seven, but it’s still a notable jump and includes some high-profile matchups against potential contenders. The increased exposure on national TV should help Barnes with his All-NBA and All-Defensive cases next year.
Kawhi Leonard will draw a lot of attention as a Raptors representative on the All-NBA Teams, if the trade for him goes through before the start of the season, but that doesn’t mean Barnes won’t have a case. The Pistons, Thunder, and Nuggets all had two players on the three All-NBA teams after the 2025-26 season. If Leonard and Barnes combine to lead the Raptors to the top of the Eastern Conference, they could both make All-NBA—or Leonard isn’t available as consistently as Barnes, and the latter makes All-NBA over the veteran.
The national TV games are an opportunity for Barnes
Scottie Barnes used the playoffs to show off his ability to carry a team at the highest level. He averaged 24.1 points, 6.1 rebounds, 8.6 assists, 1.7 blocks, and 1.1 steals. After that seven-game series, the only question left was whether he could be that kind of player, or at least close to it, over the course of a full season and with higher stakes.
Adding Kawhi Leonard to the team will put Barnes in a position to answer that question right away. Trading for a veteran star like Leonard accelerates the Raptors’ timeline, and Barnes will have to be one of the two best players on a team that can compete with the best.
The Raptors’ seven national TV games are matchups with the Detroit Pistons, Minnesota Timberwolves, Boston Celtics, Cleveland Cavaliers, Atlanta Hawks, Miami Heat, and Philadelphia 76ers. For Barnes, those games are an opportunity to show a national audience how he matches up against stars like Cade Cunningham, Anthony Edwards, Jayson Tatum, Donovan Mitchell, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jaylen Brown, and LeBron James.
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