4 Reasons the Raptors Should Trade RJ Barrett

Toronto Raptors forward RJ Barrett is entering the final year of his contract, making his future with the franchise unknown past the 2026-27 season.

Barrett, 26, is in the process of negotiating a new contract with the Raptors, but he has yet to reach a deal. If the Raptors are unable to come to terms on a new agreement, it might make sense for them to find a trade for Barrett.

Here are four reasons why a trade makes sense:

Barrett's Expiring Contract is Attractive

Toronto Raptors forward RJ Barrett drives to the basket against Cleveland Cavaliers guard Dennis Schroder. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Barrett is set to make just under $30 million in the final year of his deal with the Raptors. Inquiring teams would not have to commit as much to Barrett as they normally would, making this a potentially enticing deal for other teams to take on.

Barrett is also entering the prime of his career, and whichever team acquires him could get his Bird rights, which would allow them to offer more money in free agency than other rival teams.

Barrett's Value Might Be at an All-Time High

Toronto Raptors forward RJ Barrett celebrates after scoring the winning basket with guard Ja'Kobe Walter. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

While Barrett's scoring averages may have dropped from 2024-25 to 2025-26, he posted his best efficiency rate in his career, making just over 49 per cent of his shots from the field. He also did that in fewer minutes, which adds to how impressive it was.

With the possibility of Kawhi Leonard coming into the mix next season based on the proposed trade with the Los Angeles Clippers, Barrett might not have the ball in his hands as often. That is another reason why Toronto might be better off moving on from him, because he might not experience numbers as high as they are.

Raptors Have Reinforcements at Barrett's Position

Toronto Raptors guard Ja'Kobe Walter drives to the basket against Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Raptors could find ways to work around not having Barrett in the lineup. They could promote Ja'Kobe Walter from the bench unit to the starting lineup if they needed to. They also have a lot of optionality within their wings, including Collin Murray-Boyles, Allen Graves and Scottie Barnes, among others.

The Raptors have a number of potential lineups that they could use even if Barrett isn't on the court, so they could possibly find a way to make things work without him.

Raptors Could Get Some Much-Needed Size

Cleveland Cavaliers center Evan Mobley drives to the basket against Toronto Raptors center Jakob Poeltl. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Raptors could dangle Barrett's expiring contract as a way to help them get a big man that could help add some size behind Jakob Poeltl. There are very few center options on the trade market, but if one opens up, the Raptors could be intrigued by that possible move.

Toronto could also try and get picks back for Barrett, which the team could use in a future trade to buy some value for another deal down the line.

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