Scottie Barnes announced himself to everyone who had been overlooking the young Raptors star with an outstanding playoff run. He averaged 24.1 points on 50.9% shooting from the field and 38.1% from deep (way above his regular-season average), 6.1 rebounds, 8.6 assists, 1.7 blocks, and 1.1 steals over seven games against the Cavaliers.
ESPN’s Zach Kram cited that first-round series as the reason why he listed Barnes as a player whose stock is rising among players who could potentially make the USA Basketball roster for the 2028 Olympics.
“Barnes was one of the last players to make my preliminary roster in February, and he’s on firmer footing now,” Kram wrote.
He also added, “Barnes’ defensive versatility makes him a great fit on an Olympic roster, and he’s not the sort of star whose value will be suppressed if he has to take a backseat on offense. That sounds like a prime Olympic candidate.”
However, Barnes’ senior national team debut may not even have to wait until 2028. Brian Windhorst expects him to be a candidate for the 2027 World Cup Team.
Referring to Kram’s article, Windhorst said on the latest episode of The Hoop Collective, “He named some players to keep an eye on, and a couple of them I thought were very interesting. One, Scottie Barnes. Absolutely. Two-way player, great size, can hit the outside shot, defends. Definitely a guy I think will get invited to the World Cup team.”
Both takes highlight Barnes’ standing as one of the best two-way players in the game and a still rising young star—something the Raptors are already well aware of. Otherwise, they wouldn’t be trying to get him a superstar teammate like Kawhi Leonard and accelerate the team’s timeline.
Next season should only solidify Barnes’ standing as a Team USA hopeful
Barnes has been named an All-Star twice already and made the All-Defensive Second Team this year. However, next season should be even better.
Whether Kawhi Leonard comes to Toronto or not, Barnes seems ready to take his game, especially his offense, to the next level. He may not be as aggressive as a scorer as he was in the playoffs every single game, but he could finally crack that 20-point-per-game mark while still excelling as a playmaker and defender.
Many already considered his omission from the three All-NBA teams this year a snub. If everything goes according to plan, leaving him off will be impossible next year and he will only continue to cement himself as one of the best young two-way players in the game—and someone who should receive serious consideration for Team USA in 2027 and 2028.
Barnes can guard any position and fill many different roles on offense. That versatility isn’t easy to find, and would allow Barnes to seamlessly fit in on a star-studded team.
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