In their first preseason game on Sunday, the Toronto Raptors destroyed the Washington Wizards.
Toronto lead by 17 points in 14 minutes from RJ Barrett as they won 125-98. Barrett, who will play for the Raptors for the first time in his whole career, was hurt in the second quarter by a shoulder injury. Barrett left the game as soon as possible, but he never returned. A few days later, Barrett’s situation does not appear to be improving.
Barrett will miss the remainder of the preseason, the Raptors said in an official statement. The Raptors’ first game of the regular season, against the Cleveland Cavaliers, is on October 23, just over two weeks away. It’s unclear at this time if Barrett will be forced to sit out the first several games of the year.
Best Toronto Raptors Player Out for the Remainder of the Preseason
RJ Barrett’s Career in Toronto Thus far
In December 2023, Barrett and guard Immanuel Quickley were acquired by the Raptors from the New York Knicks. Barrett played 32 games for the Raptors in his first campaign, starting every one of them. During that span, Barrett averaged 21.8 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 4.1 assists. In addition, he made 39.2% of his field goals and 55.3% of his three-pointers. Barrett, along with Scottie Barnes, is one of Toronto’s most important players going into the 2024–25 campaign.
Barrett discussed playing for the Raptors in an interview he did with David Stol of Sharp Magazine last month. In the interview, the Canadian native termed it “a literal dream come true.”
He describes it as “just a literal dream come true.” My dad used to take me to games as a child. Upon learning that I would be returning home, I was unsure of how to behave. We’re actually here, I told my people, pinching myself. We’re playing for the Toronto Raptors.’”
The 24-year-old’s contract still has three years left on it. It doesn’t seem like Barrett will be playing for another team in the league, at least not anytime soon.
The Final Word on the Toronto Raptors and RJ Barrett
Barrett has played some of his best basketball of the season after being dealt to the Raptors. In addition, the Raptors are still a thrilling squad even though they are not in a position to challenge this season. The Raptors concluded the previous season with a 25-57 record. They haven’t finished this poorly since going 22–60 in the 2010–11 campaign. Nevertheless, Barrett’s inclusion on the team is largely responsible for Toronto’s bright future.
If he were to miss any time in the regular season, that would be a big setback to the Raptors. But as of right now, there’s not much evidence to suggest that he won’t be available for the Raptors’ opening regular-season match. In any case, this will be a significant story to monitor over the next few weeks as the Raptors try to surprise everyone by winning the NBA and possibly return to the postseason the following season.
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