RJ Barrett is heading into a season with plenty hanging over it, and the biggest question in Toronto may be the simplest one: can he buy into the Raptors’ defensive standard and make himself part of the future?
The contract situation is messy. Barrett is on an expiring deal, the Raptors did not extend him over the summer, and his name has already surfaced in trade chatter again.
That makes sense on paper, since an expiring salary can be useful in a deal. It also helps explain why some see Ja’Kobe Walter as a cleaner fit with the rest of the starting group, given that Walter projects more as a 3-and-D piece than Barrett.
For the moment, though, Barrett is still here, and that gives him a real chance to shift the conversation. Darko Rajakovic made his expectation plain on media day, and it centered on the area that matters most in Toronto.
“RJ, he made a step in the playoffs,” Rajakovic said when talking about the potential of the Raptors’ defensive improvements. “We expect him to continue there.”
That’s the challenge in front of Barrett now. The Raptors build around defense, and if he wants to stick around long term, he has to look the part within that identity. Even if he ends up elsewhere, becoming a stronger defender only raises his value.
Barrett was asked about his contract status on media day, and he kept the focus on what he can actually control.
“I don’t control any of that stuff. I just control my effort and what I do, and how I train, how I come in and try to help the team. So, I’m just going to continue to control the things I can control.”
Defense is one of those things, and it could end up being one of the biggest storylines of his season.
This could be the most important year of Barrett’s Raptors run. If Toronto holds onto him and lets him reach free agency, he’ll be playing for his next contract.
There are also fit questions that won’t go away, especially alongside Kawhi Leonard and Scottie Barnes. Barrett can help the team get through any games Leonard misses because of load management or injury, but his offense isn’t the cleanest match next to those two, particularly with a 3-point shot that hasn’t been especially consistent.
Even so, there’s a little symmetry to where Barrett finds himself now. He grew up as a Raptors fan, and he has said before that he was watching Leonard and Toronto during the 2019 playoffs while getting ready for the draft.
He even hit a Leonard-style shot in Game 6 that helped keep the Raptors’ playoff run alive for another game. Now, at least to open the season, he gets to line up next to Leonard instead of watching from afar.
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