The Toronto Raptors have been involved in a lot of trade speculation in the past few months. Not only have they been mired in rumors centered around Pascal Siakam, they also had conversations about Kevin Durant last year. Not to mention, the team also threw their hat in the ring for the Damian Lillard sweepstakes before the star point guard was dealt to the Milwaukee Bucks. However, what is most interesting about these discussions is that the Raptors were unwilling to trade away their young point guard, Scottie Barnes.
Toronto Raptors Were Unwilling to Part With Scottie Barnes in Talks for Kevin Durant and Scottie Barnes
Scottie Barnes’ Potential
Scottie Barnes is one of the more promising guards in the league. However, to not trade him for talents like Damian Lillard or Kevin Durant does raise some questions. Regardless, Barnes does have a high ceiling. Last year, the former Rookie of the Year tallied 15.3 points, 6.6 total rebounds, and 4.8 assists per game. His shooting did take a dip as he shot 45.6 percent from the field. The point guard shot 49.2 percent from the field during his rookie campaign.
Still, the Toronto Raptors consider Barnes a building block for their future and are banking on his potential to pay dividends in the long run. Barnes is a crafty point guard who knows how to get to his spot and is also an underrated playmaker for others. There is a reason he is a former Rookie of the Year and the team has high hopes for him. However, the Raptors will find out very soon if retaining him at the cost of acquiring superstar talent was worth it in the long run.
Did Toronto Make the Right Decision?
Right now, it is hard to tell if Toronto made the correct decision. At first glance, most peers would say they did not considering how great Damian Lillard and Kevin Durant are, even if they are older. Not to mention, many are still uncertain of the future of Pascal Siakam’s future with the team.
Toronto is a young and scrappy team who just missed out on the playoffs last season losing in the play-in tournament. Having someone like Durant or Lillard would have elevated them to the top echelon of the Eastern Conference instantly. All in all, Scottie Barnes is a young guard who has a ton of potential in today’s NBA. The Raptors will soon find out if he is a cornerstone to build around as they look to get back to the postseason.
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