The Toronto Raptors are in the midst of a period of transformation across the board as they approach a pivotal offseason. This year, they finally made the difficult decision to let go of important veterans by trading Pascal Siakam, OG Anunoby, and Dennis Schroder. They are also growing younger and focusing on the future.
This summer, that process might carry on through signing new players, dealing for more experienced players, or selecting fresh potential. Financial adaptability will be crucial going forward, both in terms of free agency and controlling the team’s overall expenses once they start to perform well once more. Therefore, player contracts are just as important as they would be if the Raptors were a contender this season.
Let’s rank every deal from “bargain” to “nightmare,” or throughout the entire roster, from best to worst. Minimum bargains are not included in this exercise, and deals that are just expiring are also not ranked. Thus, Jordan Nwora, Gary Trent Jr., and Immanuel Quickley are not included on the list.
Only a small portion of the computation takes into account a player’s current season; the majority of the work is focused on the next seasons. Who among the players has the best deal? Who is the most devastating player? Come with me while we examine!
No. 9: Scottie Barnes has a deal that is quite favorable.
We’ll begin with the most apparent choice on this list, which is the fact that Scottie Barnes has a fantastic contract. Following his fourth-round NBA Draft selection in 2021, Barnes signed a four-year, $33 million rookie contract, or $8.27 million per season. He will make $10.13 million in the last year of the contract next year.
One of the best deals in basketball is when a team can get a player who can produce at a high level on a rookie contract. In his third season, Barnes was named an All-Star, leading the team in scoring and overall effect as their greatest player despite playing a relatively small role.
Barnes will be available for a contract extension this summer, and it is anticipated that he will sign a rookie extension worth a maximum of $225 million, depending on the location of the salary cap. Furthermore, if he makes the All-NBA team the following season, which is undoubtedly in the works, he may work “Rose Rule” triggers into the contract that could increase the total value to $268 million.
Barnes is definitely worth that whole amount if he is selected to an All-NBA team the following season, but the Raptors would presumably prefer that he narrowly miss out so he can keep improving and save up some salary cap room. In any case, Barnes is a fantastic value for one more season before receiving a more fair salary.
