RJ Barrett will be eligible for an extension this summer, but the Raptors may not be in a hurry to get a new deal in place, Eric Koreen of The Athletic states in his latest mailbag column. Barrett, who’s entering the final year of his current contract at $29.6MM, will remain extension-eligible through the start of next offseason, and Koreen expects general manager Bobby Webster to take a patient approach.
Koreen points out that Toronto is in a unique position with Immanuel Quickley, Jakob Poeltl and Brandon Ingram all earning large salaries, which potentially makes Barrett the team’s most attractive trade piece. That doesn’t mean the Raptors will be shopping Barrett, but he gives them some flexibility that would be wiped out by an extension.
Koreen also addresses the possibility that Barrett, who was born in Toronto, might be willing to take a discount to remain with his hometown team, which has been beneficial for his off-court income. Koreen suggests an offer of $130MM over four years, which is about $25MM below what Barrett is eligible to receive.
There’s more on the Raptors:
- A combination of Barrett and draft picks is probably the best trade offer Toronto can make for a roster upgrade this summer, Koreen states in the same piece. He notes that several of the big-name players considered to be available, such as Ja Morant, Zion Williamson and Domantas Sabonis, come with red flags that make them risky investments. Pelicans forward Trey Murphy III is Koreen’s favorite potential addition for the Raptors, but he would be much more expensive than other options. Koreen doesn’t believe the team should consider parting with Collin Murray-Boyles unless it’s to get a major star.
- In response to another question, Koreen identifies several players the Raptors could pursue to fill their need for shooting. In addition to Murphy, he lists Sam Hauser, Sam Merrill, Kel’el Ware, Bobby Portis, Isaiah Joe, Vit Krejci, Moses Moody, Max Christie and Malik Monk as trade targets. In free agency, Koreen points to Khris Middleton, Collin Sexton, Kevin Huerter, Luke Kennard, Simone Fontecchio, Gary Trent Jr., Tim Hardaway Jr., Landry Shamet and Keon Ellis. Koreen’s most likely scenario is that the team re-signs Sandro Mamukelashvili and tries to find more shooting through the draft and veteran’s minimum contracts.
- With picks No. 19 and 50, the Raptors’ pre-draft workouts so far have included Meleek Thomas, Bennett Stirtz, Zuby Ejiofor, Keyshawn Hall, Izaiyah Nelson, Peter Suder, Tyler Bilodeau, Michael Ajayi and Bruce Thornton, sources tell Josh Lewenberg of TSN Sports (Twitter link).