A round of applause is definitely in order for the Raptors' hometown hero, RJ Barrett.
Barrett has taken his game to new heights here in the postseason, working each game to shut down any doubts over his ability to be an impactful playoff player — giving commendable effort on both ends of the floor. As it currently stands, Barrett is second on the team in points during the Raptors playoffs, averaging 26.3 points per game (just slightly under the leading Scottie Barnes, who is posting 26.7 PPG).
RJ Barrett turning up in the Raptors playoffs only increases his value
To make that high scoring average even sweeter, Barrett has been hyper-efficient as well. He's shooting 64.4 percent from the field and 60.0 percent from three on an average of five attempts. He is also providing 5.3 rebounds, 4.3 assists (second on the team in this category), and 1.0 steals (tied with Barnes for third on the team).
This burst from Barrett has been absolutely essential for the Raptors' playoff push. Considering that many expected Brandon Ingram to perform at this level, it’s impressive to see Barrett is stepping up in stride. Ingram has been fairly quiet in the three-game postseason sample so far, and despite lingering concerns about him, Barrett is filling those shoes seamlessly.
Which brings me to the elephant in the room regarding RJ Barrett.
It's no secret that his long-term fit on this team has been a recurring topic in the past, and trade rumors have circulated plenty over the last two seasons. Despite all the odds stacked against him, you have to give Barrett credit for going out there and doing his thing night after night like a true professional. He even referenced the trade rumors prior to last year's season start, indicating that he's focused on the present and not paying much attention to that noise.
While Barrett had to miss a good chunk of the 2025-26 season due to injury, playing only 57 games, he was still firmly established as Toronto's second-leading scorer.
I can understand having reservations about Barrett's impact at times, but you cannot really argue against his ability to deliver in the postseason, on top of what was already solid regular season samples with Toronto in the last three seasons. Winding down on the final two years of his current deal, Barrett is in line for a new price tag, which could spell a bit of trouble for the Raptors given their high salary sheet across the roster.
That being said, if Barrett is proving he's worth keeping around when it matters, Toronto needs to come to a quick decision about his future. The Raptors must decide whether to retain the Canadian hero as a key face of the franchise or leverage his strong postseason showing to get a decent return in the trade market. But honestly, I don't think it would be wise to let him go easily. If salary is the main issue, then this is on the Raptors to realize they need to shed salary elsewhere (Jakob Poeltl could be a good starting point) and reward Barrett for his efforts.