Darko Rajakovic didn’t leave much room for debate about where he stands on Scottie Barnes.
Speaking in Serbian, the Toronto Raptors coach drew a line that tells you exactly how he views his young star. “I think there is no coach and there is no success for a coach without players,” Rajakovic said in Serbian h/t Sportsnet reporter Michael Grange.
“You look at all our greatest coaches, who are fantastic ... they all became great coaches by taking care of the players, and I think that's on every level ... there's no Phil Jackson without Michael Jordan. My Michael Jordan is Scottie Barnes.”
That’s not the kind of comparison coaches toss around lightly. Barnes has clearly earned Rajakovic’s trust, and the comment reads like a public declaration of how central he is to Toronto’s plans. The front office already sees Barnes as someone with the potential to become one of the league’s best players, and Rajakovic’s role in that equation is obvious.
Rajakovic took over in Toronto in 2023 after Nick Nurse guided the team to a championship in 2019. By then, the Raptors were moving toward a rebuild, and Barnes was the key piece at the center of that reset. Since then, Barnes and Rajakovic have been tied together as the team tries to climb back into contention.
There’s still plenty of work ahead for both the player and the team. But Rajakovic comparing Barnes to Michael Jordan says plenty about the confidence he has in him, and about who he believes should be carrying the franchise forward.
Toronto is also hoping to finalize a trade for Kawhi Leonard once the investigation into the alleged salary cap circumvention with the Los Angeles Clippers comes to an end. Leonard has been the best player on his team for well over a decade.
If he were to come to Toronto, it might still be Barnes’ team. He might be the Scottie Pippen that the Raptors are hoping he can be in order to help Toronto win their second title in franchise history.
That leaves one big question for whenever Leonard and Barnes end up sharing the floor: how exactly will the two fit together? Based on the way Rajakovic talks about Barnes, the answer may already be taking shape.
In Other News...
Raptors Just Got A Huge Break From One Trade Miss
The Raptors are feeling a little better about a deal that never happened. Last year, Toronto reportedly put the ninth pick in the 2025 NBA Draft on the table for Derrick White, but Boston passed, leaving the Raptors to stay put and use the selection on Collin Murray-Boyles instead. At the time, it looked like the sort of aggressive swing teams make when they want an established veteran guard, but it also came with the risk of giving up a premium young prospect.
Now the miss looks more like a lucky break than a setback. Murray-Boyles has already flashed enough in a strong rookie season to be seen as a possible long-term building block in Toronto, while Whites own year went the other way, capped by a career-low mark from the field. For a team still sorting out its future, it is the kind of alternate timeline that makes the front office look smart for something it did not even get to decide. [Read more 🡒]
Raptors Face One Big Kyrie Irving Question Before Any Big Swing
The recent Kyrie Irving chatter around Toronto has the kind of allure that always follows a big name, especially for a team trying to climb back into real contention. The Raptors have pieces worth protecting in Immanuel Quickley and Ja'Kobe Walter, along with future draft capital that could matter a lot more if this group grows together the way the front office hopes. For now, the smarter path is patience, letting the roster settle and seeing what kind of team develops before the franchise starts making wholesale changes.
Kyries name still hangs over the conversation because of the talent level he brings, but the bigger question is timing and whether Toronto should be chasing a swing before it knows exactly what it has. The Raptors can monitor the market and revisit bigger moves if they truly look like title contenders later in the season, but there is no need to force a decision before the current group gets a real chance to establish itself. [Read more 🡒]
Raptors May Have A Real Center Upgrade If Bulls Play Along
Torontos center picture is still built around Jakob Poeltl for next season, but the conversation around the position has not gone away. Around the league, Nic Claxton has come up as a name worth watching, and Torontos interest is easy to understand. He brings a different kind of defensive profile and a contract structure that could make him a cleaner fit for a team trying to stay flexible while upgrading the middle of the floor.
Chicagos new management adds another layer to the discussion, because the Bulls may be open to moving Claxton if it helps them collect more assets. For the Raptors, that kind of opening creates a real lane to improve at center without locking themselves into the wrong long-term shape. No deal is in place, but if the Bulls decide to be active, this is the sort of trade idea that could quickly move from background chatter to something Toronto has to seriously weigh. [Read more 🡒]