RJ Barrett’s name keeps landing in the same conversation for the Raptors, and it’s not hard to see why.
The 26-year-old Mississauga native helped raise his profile with a strong 2026 playoff run, but his future in Toronto is still very much unsettled. His expiring contract has made him one of the summer’s key talking points, and even with all the Kawhi Leonard trade buzz swirling, the Raptors still haven’t shown their hand on whether Barrett will be extended or moved.
That uncertainty matters because Barrett is still a major piece of the roster heading into training camp and the 2026-27 season. And while there’s plenty to like about what he brings, the bigger question is whether he actually fits the version of this team that’s trying to climb into contender territory.
There’s a real pull to Barrett. He’s a hometown player, he plays hard, and he’s generally been someone you can root for.
He also stepped up when Toronto needed someone to carry more of the load in the Cavs series after losing IQ and later Brandon Ingram. But that was Barrett in a featured role.
The tougher question is how he looks as a connector next to a core that may soon include Kawhi Leonard, Scottie Barnes and Collin Murray-Boyles.
That trio, at least on the defensive end, has plenty of bite. The Raptors would also have more stoppers around them in Jamal Shead, Ja’Kobe Walter, rookie Allen Graves and, to a lesser extent, Kyle Anderson. But the offensive fit is where Barrett becomes more complicated.
Toronto’s obvious need is a dependable three-point shooter who can smooth out the spacing. Barrett hasn’t really solved that problem.
In fact, he may be making it harder. He took 5.0 threes per game in the 2025-26 sample, but hit just 33.9 percent of them.
For his career, he’s at 34.5 percent from deep. That’s not unusable, but it’s not the clean answer for a team trying to sharpen its ceiling.
Yossi Gozlan of the Third Apron Podcast dug into Barrett’s situation with Sam Quinn of CBS Sports, touching on extension money, possible trade paths and what this core can realistically become. Gozlan sounded confident the Raptors could “make a deep run,” but Quinn put the spacing issue into sharper focus.
“ 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.”
That’s the crux of it. Barrett doesn’t have to be viewed as a negative presence to see the issue.
He’s ball-dominant, and if Kawhi Leonard really is coming into the picture, there’s a real chance his touches shrink. At that point, Toronto has to decide whether Barrett still makes the most sense in this version of the roster or whether his value is better used elsewhere.
Names like Max Strus, Rui Hachimura and Cam Johnson come up as possible fits. Yossi Gozlan even floated a Trey Murphy III pursuit. However the Raptors choose to handle it, the decision on Barrett may end up telling them a lot about what kind of team they’re trying to build.
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What makes the delay especially notable for Raptors fans is that the process had already advanced past the point where Leonards destination seemed settled. Now the question is whether the Clippers can get their paperwork and decision-making aligned while those suspensions reshape the people normally steering the deal. For Toronto, it leaves an already unusual situation sitting in limbo, with the next step dependent on a team that is now managing a much bigger crisis than the original move itself. [Read more 🡒]
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Gradey Dick's Raptors Future Looks Murkier Than Fans Expected
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For Dick, the concern is less about his draft pedigree than about fit and timing. The Raptors are dealing with a crowded picture around him, and the Clippers would not offer much more clarity if he lands there, given their own heavy mix of guards and wings. For now, the most notable part of his future is how many doors still appear open, and how few of them point toward an obvious extension. [Read more 🡒]