Scottie Barnes isn’t spending much time soaking in the Toronto hype, but he knows exactly what fans keep asking him about.
With the Raptors opening a 2026-27 season that suddenly comes with real title-contender buzz, Barnes said the noise around the city is hard to miss - even if he’s not out in it much himself. Toronto tips off Wednesday at Scotiabank Arena against the Chicago Bulls, and the big talking point remains the return of Kawhi Leonard.
Barnes was asked ahead of the opener whether he could feel the excitement building.
“I don't really go outside much,” Barnes said with a laugh.
“But if I am out in public, it's what people are talking to me about. 'How's Kawhi?!' and things like that.”
TSN’s Josh Lewenberg then asked Barnes what his answer is when fans press him for the real story on Leonard. Barnes didn’t dress it up.
“I say, 'he's pretty good.'"
Barnes and Leonard have only shared the floor in two preseason games, but the pairing looked sharp. The Raptors outscored opponents by a combined +36 in those minutes, a strong early sign given the two players’ reputations as high-end two-way forces.
Still, Barnes isn’t interested in riding the wave of buzz any further than it needs to go.
“Other than the hype, we just gotta be ourselves and go out there and win games - that's our main goal,” he said.
Toronto’s path out of the gate is far from soft. The team plays six of its first 10 games on the road, and the roughest patch is lined up for mid-November, when the Raptors face the Boston Celtics, New York Knicks twice, Philadelphia 76ers, and Detroit Pistons across a six-game span.
The Raptors also officially announced their roster Monday, and six new players are set to make their Toronto debuts Wednesday against the Bulls.
In Other News...
Serge Ibaka Just Made Kawhi Leonards Raptors Return Feel Bigger
Kawhi Leonards first regular-season game back in a Raptors uniform already carried enough weight on its own, with Toronto welcoming him in after the trade from the Los Angeles Clippers and the contract extension that followed. He made the night feel routine only in the best way, scoring 23 points and going a perfect 11-for-11 at the line as the Raptors handled the Chicago Bulls.
Serge Ibaka being in the building added another layer to the moment, since the former Raptors big man had a clear view of what Leonards return meant beyond the box score. For a team that still remembers exactly what Leonard brought during his previous run in Toronto, the sight of him back on the floor seemed to underline just how much bigger this homecoming could become. [Read more 🡒]
Raptors Season Opener Made One Core Debate Even Harder To Ignore
The Raptors opened the 2026-27 season with a runaway 132-95 win over the Bulls, and the box score offered plenty of early encouragement for a team trying to sort out its identity. Immanuel Quickley set the tone with 23 points, four rebounds, seven assists and two steals, while Scottie Barnes matched him with 23 points of his own along with six rebounds and five assists, giving Toronto a balanced start that looked very much in step with the kind of pace and versatility the franchise wants to lean into.
Kawhi Leonard also put up 23 points, but his night came with a less efficient shooting line, finishing 5 of 17 from the field. For a Raptors team already carrying plenty of questions about how its top pieces fit together, the opener only sharpened the conversation: the talent is obvious, but the exact hierarchy and stylistic balance are still very much something to watch as the season settles in. [Read more 🡒]
Raptors Hand Bulls A Brutal Reality Check To Open The Season
The Bulls were left dealing with a brutal opening-night lesson after Toronto turned their season opener into a runaway loss and exposed problems on both ends of the floor. Chicago finished with more turnovers than assists, and the kind of sloppiness that can be hidden in the preseason quickly became impossible to ignore once the games started counting.
For a team in the middle of a rebuilding process, the long view still matters, and the rotation reflected that approach as young players like Noa Essengue, Jaylin Sellers and Tobe Awaka got a chance to log real minutes. The challenge now is finding out whether those reps can translate into growth quickly enough to keep the Bulls from carrying one discouraging performance into the rest of the schedule. [Read more 🡒]