One of ESPN’s bold predictions for the Raptors’ 2027-29 stretch in its future power rankings is that Scottie Barnes will win a Defensive Player of the Year award. Barnes is one of the most versatile and impactful defenders in the NBA. He can guard every position, racks up steals and blocks at a level that few can match, delivers in the clutch, and anchors one of the best defenses in the league.
He received his first All-Defensive Second Team nod this year and will probably only continue to climb the ranks until he is a no-brainer All-Defensive First Team selection and Defensive Player of the Year candidate.
But there’s one massive 7’4” obstacle standing between him and the award. Victor Wembanyama entered the NBA as one of the most fascinating prospects in the history of the league. He has lived up to the hype, winning the 2026 Defensive Player of the Year award and leading his young Spurs team to the finals in just his third season. Winning a Defensive Player of the Year award will be difficult for anyone as long as Wembanyama and his 8-foot wingspan are around. He averaged over three blocks and one steal per game in each of his three seasons.
However, even Wembanyama has a weakness. The most games he has played in a season so far is 71. He played just 65 (counting the NBA Cup Final) last season. If that trend continues, it could open the door for Barnes to steal one of the next Defensive Player of the Year awards.
“Wembanyama will be the award’s heavy favorite for the next decade, but the Spurs star has averaged just 60 games per season during his three-year career,” ESPN’s Ben Golliver wrote. “With San Antonio needing to pace itself for deep playoff runs and the NBA’s 65-game rule potentially impacting Wembanyama’s eligibility, Barnes should get the opportunity for some individual recognition.”
The Raptors’ Kawhi Leonard trade should help Barnes’s case
Kawhi Leonard isn’t the defender he was the last time he played in Toronto anymore. So, he won’t take away from Barnes’s standing as the best, most versatile defender on one of the top defensive teams in the NBA.
At the same time, he is still a big upgrade over Brandon Ingram on that end of the floor. With Leonard in the mix and Ja’Kobe Walter and Collin Murray-Boyles continuing to improve, the Raptors could be even better than the fifth-best defense in the association. If that’s the case, it will only help Barnes’s case for All-Defensive First Team and Defensive Player of the Year consideration.
Four of the last five Defensive Player of the Year winners—Wembanyama, Rudy Gobert, Jaren Jackson Jr., and Marcus Smart—all played for a team that finished the regular season top three in defensive rating. Evan Mobley won the award in the 2024-25 season when the Cleveland Cavaliers finished eighth in defensive rating.
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