RJ Barrett heard the trade speculation surrounding him this summer as the Raptors shopped around for another star player.
Barrett has two years and $57MM remaining on his contract and would have been a logical trade piece in a blockbuster deal. There has also been talk of how his skills and that of Brandon Ingram‘s could overlap, so he wasn’t surprised or upset over the rumors, he told Josh Lewenberg of TSN.
“Obviously, this is the place I want to be,” the Canadian forward said. “I would love to finish my career here. This is my home. But I think that, with it, is understanding the business aspect of it. And if you look at contract situations and all that, it makes sense to put my name in there, right? So, I don’t take that personally. People are just looking at numbers, looking at figures, looking at everything, and that’s kinda what would make sense. So, I don’t have any ill will or ill feelings towards that. All I can do is play my game and try to help the team win because at the end of the day, what negates all that, if the team is winning there’s no need for any of that.”
Here’s more on the Raptors:
- Speaking of Ingram, he’s thrilled to be healthy after missing most of last season due to an ankle injury, Michael Grange of Sportsnet writes. “I’m just excited to bring my skill level and make things easier for other guys,” Ingram said. “Play-making, scoring the basketball, defense, getting steals, going on the other end, and just having fun. It does feel like a fresh start, all the new faces, new coaches, learning new things. So hopefully I can show my full game.”
- The team’s star, Scottie Barnes, has a playoffs or bust mentality heading into this season. “I think our expectation of our team is definitely to make the playoffs and win some games in the playoffs,” he said. “That’s the standard, that’s the bottom line with how talented we are and what we should be able to achieve. We’re hungry, we’ve got a lot to prove and we’re gonna go out and show it.”
- Barnes has given serious thought to suiting up for the Jamaican national team in the future, Libaan Osman of the Toronto Star tweets. “That’s definitely something I’ve been thinking about doing,” he said. Barnes has won multiple golds representing Team USA in age group ranks, hasn’t played for the USA’s senior national team.
- Immanuel Quickley is focused on staying on the court this season after appearing in just 33 games last season due to injuries in 2024/25. “Spent a lot of time on the track this summer,” he said. “So I’ve been been trying to, you know, up the condition a little bit. And then every season I look to get stronger every summer. And I always take that part of my game serious. Even though I look a little skinny, I feel like, you know, (stronger).” (video link)
- Rookie Collin Murray-Boyles plans to bring an “edge” defensively to fit in with his teammates. “Really, just my mindset coming into it, it’s really just what I can give these guys?” he told Grange. “Obviously, I want to give them the hardest time on (defense) … that’s how I’m making them better, especially the offensive heavy guys that the offense flows through. I want to make it as hard as possible on them, so it’s easier for them in the games. So just trying to bring an edge to the team, just trying to figure out how I can contribute.”