Former Blue Devil RJ Barrett traded to Raptors in big NBA trade
Fresh off signing a lucrative four year extension with the Knicks, RJ Barrett is headed north to join the Toronto Raptors
Former Blue Devil star RJ Barrett has been traded by the New York Knicks as part of a multi-year agreement that will bring OG Anunoby from Toronto to New York,
Barrett, who was drafted third overall in the 2019 NBA Draft, is a Toronto native and was the Knicks’ third leading scorer on the season, averaging 18.2 points per contest along with 4.3 rebounds and 2.4 assists.
Following Barrett’s initial rookie contract term, New York elected to extend him on a four-year, $120 million deal in August of 2022. At the time the franchise seemed to affirm a long range plan that included the former Duke standout. That plan made sense given the fact that Barrett entered the season having started 197 of the 198 games he’d played in.
“We are thrilled to announce a well-deserved extension for RJ Barrett, a core piece of our team’s foundation,” said Knicks president Leon Rose. “At only 22 years old, he has elevated his game each season, solidifying himself as a force on both ends of the court. We believe he will continue to improve because of his passion for the game and dedication to his craft. We want to continue to build our team and culture around players like RJ who possess these values and qualities.”
At the time he signed, Barrett was the first rookie the Knicks had extended since Charlie Ward resigned with the team 23 years ago.
Also included in the deal heading to Toronto are reserve guard Immanuel Quickley and New York’s second-round pick in 2024. The other side of the agreement brings Anunoby, Malachi Flynn and Precious Achiuwa to the Big Apple.
Over the summer Barrett played for team Canada and lead the squad to a bronze medal at the FIBA World Cup which included a win over Team USA in the third place game.
“RJ is a versatile wing who is, of course, well-known in his hometown, and seeing him in a Raptors uniform will be a special moment for our fans and for all Canadians,” Raptors president Masai Ujiri said in a statement.
During his one year Duke career, Barrett was one of the best players in college basketball, earning consensus first-team All-America selection while being named the USA Today National Player of the Year. The 6-foot-8 wing joined teammate Zion Williamson as a consensus first-team All-American, marking the first time in NCAA history a pair of freshman teammates accomplished the feat.
Barrett and Williamson also became the first freshman teammates in NCAA history to each average 20.0+ points in a season, finishing as the ACC co-leaders at 22.6 points per game while leading the Blue Devils to the Elite Eight. His point total set both the Duke and ACC freshman records, and were the most scored by any ACC player since NC State’s TJ Warren scored 871 in 2013-14.
After Duke was eliminated from March Madness, Barrett declared for the NBA Draft where he was picked up by the Knicks.
Leave a Reply