The Toronto Raptors are entering a brand-new era. After the Pascal Siakam trade, the team is officially in rebuild mode. Much of the hype around Toronto revolves around Scottie Barnes taking over as the face of the franchise. However, one player that the team acquired this season could also play into the team's future: Canada's very own RJ Barrett.
RJ Barrett was traded to the Raptors along with Immanuel Quickley for OG Anunoby. Barrett, a former lottery pick of the Knicks, showed some potential throughout his career. However, he was never really able to maintain an All-Star form for his career. Raptors GM Masai Ujiri is hoping that a change of scenery (one far away from New York) will help jump start Barrett's career, per the New York Post.
““What do I think of him and can there be growth? Absolutely. He’s 23 years old and I think sometimes these players are put in those situations,” Ujiri said. “And sometimes in the beginning of their careers they’re not in the right situation, to be honest. We’re hoping with him, that was the case. So that he can be better here.””
The Big Apple can be quite the treacherous place for an NBA rookie to start his career. While most NBA fanbases are passionate, Knicks fans are much more intense. It certainly didn't help that Barrett never really grew in a “winning” environment, and he rarely had the veteran presence to guide him along. The Raptors are hoping to provide Barrett with a great structure to succeed.
The Siakam trade marks the unofficial end of the Raptors' championship core. Chris Boucher is now the only member of the 2019 championship squad that remains. The road ahead will be dangerous, with a lot of bumps for this young team. If they make it out of this ordeal in one piece, though… they will be a very, very scary team to face.
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