Toronto Raptor RJ Barrett listens to assistant coach Jeremy Castleberry during the team's training camp in Quebec City on Tuesday.Jacques Boissinot/The Canadian Press
RJ Barrett smiled when he heard a question about his contract extension at Toronto Raptors media day, because he knew it was coming.
Barrett, from Mississauga, Ont., did everything that had been asked of him last season – be more efficient, get more rebounds, play more defence – and even excelled in Toronto’s playoff run. But he still doesn’t have a contract extension for the 2027-28 season.
“I was waiting for that one, that was a good question, brother. How am I gonna answer that?” said Barrett on Monday.
Barrett averaged 19.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 0.7 steals and 0.3 blocks, with a 49.1 field-goal percentage, over 57 games last season. All those numbers were near or above his career averages and, significantly, his 1.7 turnovers per game were a career low.
The highlight of his season was in Game 6 of Toronto’s first-round playoff series against the Cleveland Cavaliers. He hit a 29-foot three-pointer in the dying seconds of overtime to lift the undermanned Raptors to a 112-110 win and stave off elimination for one more game.
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“I think the playoffs are the biggest stage, so to be able to just show and prove who I already know that I am, that was pretty cool,” said Barrett. “And then terms of extension and all that stuff, I don’t control any of that stuff.
“I just control my effort and what I do and how I train, how I come in to try to help the team. I’m just going to continue to control the things I can control.”
The 26-year-old is entering the final year of his current contract where he’ll earn US$29.6-million before becoming a free agent in the off-season.
Barrett’s next deal will allow him to make up to US$44-million per season, but the Raptors are already well above NBA’s salary cap for 2027-28 with fellow starters Kawhi Leonard, Scottie Barnes, Immanuel Quickley and Jakob Poeltl signed to lucrative multi-year deals.
RJ Barrett (9) drives past Cleveland Cavaliers' guard Dennis Schroder (8) during their first-round playoff series this past season.Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press
Leonard’s is the most recent. He signed a two-year, US$115-million contract extension on Sept. 23, a team-friendly deal that kept the Raptors below the first apron of salary cap penalties.
Raptors vice-president of basketball operations and general manager Bobby Webster was asked Thursday if Leonard’s extension would impact Toronto’s ability to re-sign Barrett.
“No, I think ownership has been incredibly supportive,” said Webster, referring to Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment. “Any time, financially, we want to make a go for it they’ve been very supportive.”
Barrett said he was leaving all the negotiating – and worrying – up to his representation.
“For anybody who doesn’t know, my agent is Bill Duffy, [Barnes’s] agent too. I have a pretty good agent, so I don’t really worry about stuff,” said Barrett. “I think if I thought he wasn’t good, I might worry a little bit.”
Webster was also asked at his news conference last week if there was any wiggle room in general to make tweaks to the current Raptors lineup for a deep post-season push.
“We have a first-round pick in each of the next four years, I think that’s probably important to note,” said Webster, implying that the picks could be part of a trade package to shed salary cap.
“I think we’re a million over the tax, but similar to last year, we can see how it goes. You can get under it if you need to but you can add to it if you felt like the team is in position [to win]. If we want to go for it, we can still go for it.
“There’s definitely more left on the bone.”