The draft lottery didn’t quite favor Toronto, but, as Raptors fans have become accustomed to—given the team’s reputation as arguably the league’s most overlooked franchise—they’ll move forward with this development and do their best to make the most of it.
Speaking of Raptors' housekeeping chores, the future status of Canadian star RJ Barrett's tenure in Toronto remains uncertain.
RJ Barrett remains a curious name in Raptors talks (even post-lottery)
That sentiment still holds true even after Toronto slipped in the lottery, as the Raptors’ salary commitments continue to grow. They’ll need to figure out where to make cuts and shed some dollars, and unfortunately for Barrett, he still seems like an expendable candidate.
Further fueling these rumors is a recent report by NBA insider Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, who shared details in his post-2025 NBA Draft Lottery article about every team. He specifically mentioned this regarding the Raptors' upcoming summer plans:
"Toronto will have some frontcourt decisions to make this offseason first, including what to do with RJ Barrett’s future, whether to extend center Jakob Poeltl, and whether or not they’ll re-sign Chris Boucher.Michael Scotto
As previously reported on HoopsHype, the Raptors discussed trading Barrett in trade talks for Ingram before the Pelicans went with another package."
As I’ve covered all year long, it was often the "Maple Mamba" who emerged as the Raptors' primary offensive weapon, especially early in the season when injuries swept through the roster.
You can say what you want about Barrett’s ability to be a true NBA star, his free throw struggles, defensive issues, or other nitpicks that have earned him the unfortunate label of a "toxic asset."
But on his best nights, he proved to be a valuable piece to the Raptors’ core. Bobby Webster and Masai Ujiri have not overlooked his growth and contributions to the team, as they have both spoken in various interviews to acknowledge Barrett's position within the Raptors' pecking order.
I don’t believe this criticism stems from Barrett being a bad player per se; rather, given his salary and the redundancy within the team’s loaded wing rotation, he’s become the odd man out—an asset that could be used to make improvements elsewhere.
I've already mentioned this in an earlier piece, but it's worth emphasizing again: next year's Raptors will be in a battle for minutes and consistent playing time. Just because a player showed out this year doesn't mean they'll suddenly be a favorite of head coach Darko Rajakovic; minutes will be scarce and allocated based on who best benefits the system.
Adding to the complexity, we still don't know what direction Toronto will take with the ninth pick—whether they'll keep it, try to move up, or use it as part of a star package. Whatever they decide, it will only deepen the minutes crunch, and the abundance of wing talents will likely continue.
Unfortunately for fans of RJ Barrett, this means his name might still be shopped around as the team looks to figure things out.