When small forward RJ Barrett joined the Toronto Raptors midway through the 2023-24 season, it appeared like a match made in heaven. Barrett was just 23 years old at the time, and as a Toronto native, he appeared to have a very bright future in his hometown.
But that doesn’t seem to be the case anymore.
“When we get closer to December, I have the Raptors already earmarked as a buyer,” NBA insider Jake Fischer said this week, via Fadeaway’s Nico Martinez. “RJ Barrett is certainly a name to be on the lookout as a potential trade candidate going out the door.”
Fischer added that Barrett was a player the Raptors offered to the New Orleans Pelicans when the two teams were engaging in Brandon Ingram trade discussions.
More than likely, the Raptors are going to trade Barrett during the season. Doing so will give Toronto an opportunity to see where its roster stands in an Eastern Conference that should be weaker this winter.
But let’s explore the possibility of the Raptors dealing Barrett to the Portland Trail Blazers before the start of the regular season.
Toronto Raptors receive small forward Deni Avdija, small forward Matisse Thybulle and future first-round pick.
Portland Trail Blazers receive small forward RJ Barrett and conditional second-round pick.
Again, in all likelihood, the Raptors will wait until during the regular season to move on from Barrett.
But a move before the year will have financial benefits. Barrett has two years remaining on his four-year, $107 million contract. He has a $27.7 million cap hit for the 2025-26 season.
A Barrett trade before the season would give Toronto the opportunity to maximize on the cap savings.
Martinez proposed in June the Trail Blazers package Avdija and Thybulle for Barrett. In order to balance the deal, each team would then likely need to include one draft pick.
Barrett led the Raptors in scoring and shot attempts last season. That likely wouldn’t be the case for Barrett in Portland with young guards Anfernee Simons and Shaedon Sharpe.
Instead, Barrett would likely see a significant dip in fantasy value if traded to Portland. He would become a second or third option behind the two guards.
The good news is Barrett would be part of an exciting young core, which many fans would probably love to see. But he likely wouldn’t get the same opportunities to average 21.1 points per game again.
Conversely, Avdija could see an increase in fantasy value if sent to Toronto. While starting 54 games last season, Avdija averaged career bests of 16.9 points, 7.3 rebounds and 3.9 assists.
Thybulle is a depth player who excels more on the defensive end. During his last full season in 2023-24, he averaged 5.4 points, 2.1 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 65 games.
With this deal, the Raptors move on from Barrett and his contract while acquiring pieces that could still help them make a push back to the playoffs in 2025-26. Acquiring the first-round pick too will obviously greatly help Toronto’s future.
If the Raptors are more competitive than expected with Avdija and Thybulle on the roster, then they could use the first-round choice in another trade to acquire a piece to help next spring.
The Trail Blazers were 10 games below .500 last season, but they won 15 more games than the previous campaign. They appear ready to take that next step and get back to the playoffs for the first time since 2021.
Acquiring Barrett would significantly help Portland accomplish that goal. With him signed through 2027, he’s not a rental player either; Barrett could become a significant part of Portland’s future.