RJ Barrett is heading into a contract year, and the Raptors already have a pretty clear framework for what his next deal might cost.
Toronto can begin working on an extension with Barrett now, but the club’s financial picture is tight as it waits on the outcome of the Kawhi Leonard investigation. Even with that uncertainty hanging over the roster, the Raptors can still try to lock up the hometown forward well beyond 2027.
The cleanest clue may have just come from one of Barrett’s Canada Basketball teammates. Dillon Brooks landed a three-year, $73 million contract, and that number looks like a useful starting point for Barrett’s camp. Brooks, fresh off the best season of his career with the Phoenix Suns, has effectively reset the bar for an above-average wing in this market.
That deal works out to $20.9 million per year, but Barrett’s situation is not a perfect match. He is four years younger than Brooks, and his own résumé includes a four-year, $107 million extension he signed with the New York Knicks in 2022 before being moved to Toronto in the first season of that contract as part of the OG Anunoby trade. That old deal carried an average annual salary of almost $27 million, which already sits above Brooks’ new number.
Toronto’s cap situation complicates things further. The Raptors are already set to pay Jakob Poeltl, Immanuel Quickley, Brandon Ingram and Scottie Barnes each more than $25 million next season, and those four alone add up to nearly $145 million in salary. With that kind of money already committed, Barrett would almost certainly have to accept less if he wants to remain in Toronto.
He has said before that he wants to win a championship in his hometown, so the idea of a discount is on the table. Still, this is likely to be the biggest contract of his career, and there’s no reason for him to take a massive haircut.
Barrett also brings more upside than Brooks as a younger player, and he has already helped the Raptors win playoff games. That makes Brooks’ contract a useful benchmark, even if Barrett’s final number could land a little higher.
The cleanest projection here is a three-year, $81 million extension, which would come out to $27 million annually. If Toronto wants to get something done before training camp opens, that’s the kind of price tag the Raptors should be ready for.
In Other News...
RJ Barrett Just Put The Raptors At A Costly Crossroads
RJ Barrett has pushed Toronto into one of the more delicate roster decisions it will face as the 2026-27 offseason winds down. The Raptors are juggling contract talks for Kawhi Leonard, Jamal Shead and Barrett, but Barrett is the name creating the most debate because of his role, his shooting performance and the question of how much value Toronto should place on him going forward.
There is a real case for patience here, even if that makes the next step uncomfortable. Barrett remains the kind of player a team can talk itself into keeping, but the Raptors also have reason to slow-roll extension discussions and see more of his fit before making a long-term commitment. If the front office believes the trade market can clarify his worth, it may choose to wait rather than risk locking in a number that proves too steep. [Read more 🡒]