RJ Barrett can be the subject of some differing viewpoints in the Raptors sphere.
The 26-year-old Missisauga native certainly boosted his stock with an impressive 2026 playoff run, but that alone doesn’t hide the fact that Barrett’s future with this Raptors team has been a key focus, especially with his expiring contract on the table.
Despite his breakout showcase, the Raptors still haven’t made a clear decision on whether to extend him or trade him — an important storyline this summer, even more so with all the Kawhi Leonard trade buzz. Now, with training camp just weeks away and the start of the 2026-27 season fast approaching, RJ Barrett remains a vital member of this Raptors roster.
I’ve largely taken a supportive and enthusiastic stance about RJ Barrett’s Raptors tenure to this point. While he definitely has his flaws and isn’t a perfect fit, you can’t help but root for a hometown player who, more often than not, works hard to win and make positive contributions. But as the Raptors gear up for what could be their most important season yet (definitely since their 2018-19 championship run), I find myself contemplating some of the narratives around RJ Barrett that suggest he might not be the player you’d want in this current outlook to elevate the team’s ceiling.
When this long-awaited Kawhi Leonard–Raptors trade finally goes through, we’re looking at a key trio of the Klaw, Scottie Barnes, and Collin Murray-Boyles in the spotlight. Defensively, that lineup has all the makings of becoming an opponent’s nightmare — especially when you factor in some of the other blossoming defenders like Jamal Shead, Ja’Kobe Walter, and even, to a lesser extent, rookie Allen Graves or sneaky pickup Kyle Anderson.
RJ Barrett’s role in this optimistic vision, however, doesn’t seem so certain.
Yeah, Barrett showed he can be a key difference-maker when the Raptors desperately needed someone to step up in the Cavs series (after losing IQ and later Brandon Ingram), but that was him in a prominent role. Can RJ be that same level of effective in more of a connective piece and complementary role? Unfortunately, for what this Raptors team desperately needs (that being a specialist, reliable three-point shooter to help ease some of Toronto’s clunky spacing), RJ does more to exacerbate that issue than to provide relief.
RJ Barrett’s spot would be far more impactful if he proved to be a legitimate shooting threat
RJ Barrett clearly isn’t afraid to shoot the three-ball, averaging 5.0 attempts per game in the recent 2025-26 sample. But his efficiency? That left a bit to be desired, sitting at 33.9 percent. And overall, the "Maple Mamba" is a career 34.5 percent shooter from deep. While not entirely terrible, I wouldn’t say Barrett fits the ideal player archetype needed for the team’s hopeful blueprint back into contender status.
Yossi Gozlan of the Third Apron Podcast discussed RJ Barrett’s prospects with guest Sam Quinn of CBS Sports, covering potential extension prices in Toronto, possible trade routes, and the ceiling of this current core.
While Gozlan was quite optimistic for this Raptors team to “make a deep run,” it was Quinn who emphasized this similar RJ perspective just highlighted, when he said during the episode (YouTube link here): “I would really like one more shooter in the RJ Barrett spot. I just think RJ Barrett is a little redundant with what they have. Scottie [Barnes] is obviously a pretty inconsistent shooter. CMB — jury's obviously still out. They don't really have that much shooting on their bench. I would like them to have one more shooter. It doesn't even have to be a high-end guy. If you were to split up the RJ contract into two players, that might make sense as well.”
And that’s the thing with this. I don’t think we're looking at RJ Barrett as some inherently detrimental presence, but that’s where the “uncomfortable truth” comes in. He’s pretty ball-dominant, and with Kawhi Leonard’s arrival likely cutting into his touches, it might be wise for the Raptors to consider trading Barrett for someone who better complements the core.
Do you instead look for someone like Max Strus? Maybe Rui Hachimura? How about Cam Johnson? Or shoot for the stars with a Trey Murphy III trade, like Yossi Gozlan suggested? If the sample size isn't producing favorable results, the Raptors will need to face this uncomfortable truth head-on and consider the next steps with RJ Barrett… while they still can.
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