RJBarrett

Preseason question: Is Barrett willing to accept a super-sub role on a dramatically improved Raptors squad? The eighth-year forward finds himself at an interesting juncture in his career: He’s 26, is squarely in his prime, and has been a reliable offensive presence for the Raptors across two and a half seasons. Isolate the games that he’s played for his hometown, and his numbers aren’t dramatically different from Paolo Banchero’s career averages. All of that figures to change with Kawhi Leonard’s return. Though he certainly looks the part of a 3-and-D player—which is ideally what you’d want surrounding players with real shot-creating gravity like Scottie Barnes and Leonard—Barrett isn’t consistent enough at either discipline to be one. Coming off the bench as the sixth man would allow Barrett to continue the on-court lifestyle that he’s settled into: He’d have more opportunities to create for himself and others with the ball in his hands, and he’d be able to barrel his way into the paint more easily against reserves. It would also go a long way toward mapping out ideal player configurations on the Raptors—and for Barrett, for better or worse, excelling in that role would create a compelling proof of concept for buyers in the trade market.