RJ Barrett is building a home in Toronto

"The Mississaugan threw up a straightaway, moon-ball triple, which bounced off the back heel of the rim, flew in the air, above the shot clock, above the past, above the future, before dropping through the mesh. There were no screams to answer that moment, no primal bookend of manic celebration. The Raptors were too tired for that. Barrett raised his arms and basked in the joy of the crowd. He walked alone, a man in his own city, no teammates joining him right away to celebrate."

"So, yes. RJ Barrett hit a playoff game winner for the Toronto Raptors in the Raptors' second-last game of the 2025-26 season. The last Raptor to do so before him was OG Anunoby, and before that Kawhi Leonard. The moment didn't save anything, didn't stop anything. Barrett has been on the trade block since joining the Raptors, and with him entering the final year of his deal, this offseason will be a determinative one for Barrett in Toronto."

"It is quite likely he'll either be traded or extended this offseason. And the Raptors have traded away DeMar DeRozan, Pascal Siakam, and countless others. RJ Barrett is not a made man, not yet. But the moment was one Barrett will tell his kids, one his kids will tell their kids. Whether the Raptors want Barrett or not for the long term, he has built a home in Toronto."

"He has become a very different player from who he was in New York, even if no one has noticed. I wrote this during Barrett's season: And the seasons passed, and the promise that shadows third-overall picks slowly dwindled and faded. The eyes of the league drifted to shinier objects. The conversation around Barrett ossified and calcified until it became stale and hard like dinosaur bones. Except Barrett's game didn't."

RJ Barrett scored a playoff game winner for the Toronto Raptors with a long, high-arcing three-pointer that bounced off the rim and dropped through the net after hanging in the air. The moment brought limited celebration because the Raptors were exhausted. Barrett walked alone as he basked in the crowd’s reaction, with teammates not immediately joining him. The win marked Barrett as the latest Raptors player to deliver a playoff game-winning shot, following OG Anunoby and Kawhi Leonard. The shot did not resolve the Raptors’ situation, since Barrett has been on the trade block and faces a decisive offseason with his contract nearing its end. His performance in Toronto has evolved from his earlier New York role, even if the change has gone unnoticed.

Read at Raptors Republic