Following a hard-fought first-round series against the Cleveland Cavaliers, forward R.J. Barrett and the Toronto Raptors will head into the offseason looking to get better.
Some business conversations are in line between the Raptors and Game 6 hero R.J. Barrett. The 25-year-old will head into his final year under contract with the team in 2026-27.
Barrett signed a four-year, $107 million contract extension with the New York Knicks before getting traded to the Toronto Raptors during the 2023-24 season.
R.J. Barrett: ‘Of Course I Want to Stay Here.’
While speaking with the press on Monday, R.J. Barrett was asked about his long-term future with the Toronto Raptors.
“This is an easier question for me to answer because I’m from here, and who doesn’t want to play at home?” Barrett said. “So of course I want to stay here. I understand the business, but I wanna stay here. I have no problem saying that. I want to be here for the rest of my career. I don’t ever want to leave. I don’t have any problems openly saying that, so that’s out of my control. I’ve done my part on the court this year. I’ll continue to do my part. Let’s hope things work out that way.”
RJ Barrett on his long-term future with the Raptors 🦖
Barrett has been a pivotal part of the Raptors rebuilding process since joining the team in 2023.
After averaging 21.1 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 5.4 assists on 49.5/35.0/63.0 shooting splits in his first full year in Toronto in 2024-25, Barrett had to adjust to a team that added more scoring talent with Brandon Ingram in 2025-26.
This wasn’t an issue for the Barrett or the Raptors. In 58 games this season, he averaged 19.3 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 3.3 assists, but improved his scoring efficiency on 49.1/33.9/71.7 shooting splits.
The Toronto native reached another tier for the Raptors in their playoff series against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Brandon Ingram struggled in the series and ultimately sat out the final two games due to heel inflammation.
This opened another door for R.J. Barrett to step up. In seven games, Barrett averaged 24.1 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 4.0 assists.
Not to mention the game-winning buzzer-beater he hit with 1.2 seconds remaining on the clock to force a Game 7.
WHAT. A. SHOT. 🤯
Raptors Cap Situation Heading Into the Offseason
Toronto has multiple players who will be addressed during the offseason outside of R.J. Barrett.
Center Jakob Poeltl had a questionable campaign while battling a nagging back injury throughout, resulting in missing 36 games during the regular season. He was unable to play in back-to-backs this season, and the setback limited the seven-footer to 19.1 minutes per game in the playoffs.
Poeltl has missed 93 combined regular-season games over the past three seasons due to injury. The three-year, $84.08 million extension he signed with the Raptors through 2030 draws concerns.
The Raptors also have team options for Gradey Dick ($7.1 million), Ja’Kobe Walter ($3.8 million), Trayce Jackson-Davis ($2.4 million), Jonathan Mogbo ($2.29 million), and Jamal Shead ($2.29 million) for 2026-27.
After a career year this season, Sandro Mamukelashvili has a $2.8 million player option for 2026-27. The Georgian center averaged 11.2 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 1.9 assists this season.
Whether he returns to the Raptors this offseason or not, Mamukelashvili will draw attention from the league and is in line for a raise depending on how he plays out the player option.
The Raptors will have a lot to address this offseason. However, after a hard-fought 2025-26 season, Toronto has great potential for seasons to come.
Raptors’ R.J. Barrett Provides Bold Statement Heading Into Contract Year