Raptors will soon face difficult RJ Barrett decision

The former No. 3 overall pick is appearing in trade rumors.

Toronto Raptors forward RJ Barrett shoots in the fourth quarter against the Cleveland Cavaliers. | David Richard-Imagn Images

Toronto Raptors forward RJ Barrett has been on the sidelines for a month, giving the team a preview of what life may look like without him.

Barrett's absence has resulted in a decline for the Raptors, who were 12-5 before his injury and under .500 without him. Bleacher Report writer Dan Favale listed Barrett as one of the top trade assets for the Raptors ahead of the Feb. 5 trade deadline.

"RJ Barrett has shown when healthy that he's not too redundant alongside Brandon Ingram and Scottie Barnes. That boosts his value to Toronto—and every other team," Favale wrote.

Toronto Raptors forward/guard RJ Barrett warms up before a game against the Brooklyn Nets. | John Jones-Imagn Images

Barrett could be traded by Raptors

The reasons to keep Barrett are the exact reasons to also trade him. He has value for the Raptors in that he can be a third scorer for the team, but his worth to other teams may not get much higher than where it currently is.

Barrett is inching closer to a return, so he might have the chance to silence all of these critics and prove why the Raptors should keep him. Once he does get back on the court, it will be crucial for him and the Raptors to find a way to start winning basketball games.

Given where Barrett helped the Raptors earlier in the season, that shouldn't be too much of an issue, especially as Toronto look towards making progress. If the Raptors don't see improvement when Barrett gets back on the court, that could lead to some issues down the line.

Barrett has the most value out of any of the potential trade assets the Raptors have, so his play and the subsequent decision on what to do with that value holds a lot of weight. Barrett has two seasons left on a four-year contract he signed ahead of the 2023-24 campaign when he was still with the New York Knicks.

His expiring contract next season could make him a valuable trade candidate. And with the Raptors signing Brandon Ingram to a $40 million per year contract, there isn't a whole lot of cap space to play with for Barrett on another deal beyond this one. Therefore, it may make sense for the Raptors to move on from him, especially if he isn't fitting like a glove.

The Raptors are back in action on Friday when they take on the Washington Wizards. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET inside the Capital One Arena.