Raptors forward RJ Barrett set to return for season opener after preseason rest
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The gist
Raptors forward RJ Barrett sat out Friday's preseason finale for rest and is expected to play Wednesday's opener.
His contract future in Toronto is an open question after a strong playoff run.
Background
RJ Barrett is a 26-year-old forward for the Toronto Raptors, drafted third overall in 2019 out of Duke and traded from the New York Knicks to Toronto in December 2023. He is coming off a 2025-26 season limited by right knee and left ankle injuries — his third straight campaign at 58 games or fewer — but he averaged 24.1 points across seven playoff games in Toronto's first-round loss to Cleveland. With the regular season starting, his role and his next contract are both in focus.
How it unfolded
- 2022 -09Barrett signed a four-year, $107 million contract extension with the Knicks.
- 2023 -12The Knicks traded Barrett to the Raptors as part of a five-player deal.
- Apr 23, 2026Barrett scored 33 points in a 126-104 Game 3 win over the Cavaliers in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs.
- May 3, 2026Barrett had 23 points, four rebounds, six assists and three steals in 43 minutes in a Game 7 loss to Cleveland.
- Sep 2, 2026Barrett skipped Canada's FIBA World Cup qualifying window to prepare for the 2026-27 NBA season.
- Oct 16, 2026Barrett was ruled out to rest for Friday's preseason finale against Detroit, with the Raptors resting their entire first unit.
- Oct 17, 2026Reports said Barrett is expected to play in Wednesday's regular-season opener against Chicago.
- Oct 20, 2026The Thunder signed Cason Wallace to a five-year, $139 million rookie-scale extension, cited as a benchmark for a Barrett extension.
Who’s saying what
- Analysts
- Michael Grange of Sportsnet wrote that Barrett remains a potential offseason decision point for Toronto after outperforming expectations in the postseason relative to his regular-season role alongside Brandon Ingram.
- Caution
- Chris Lambert of Raptors Rapture argued Toronto has held off on long-term money for Barrett and that the price it should pay him is only getting lower.
- Public
- Barrett said getting traded was hard to swallow and praised the Raptors' approach, which was read as a jab at his former team, the Knicks.
Still unverified
Barrett's availability for Wednesday's opener is reported as an expectation rather than a confirmed lineup decision; one report citing the Detroit Free Press also described his Opening Night readiness as expected.