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Toronto Raptors’ Scottie Barnes to Sign USD 270 Million Contract Extension; DETAILS Inside
Scottie Barnes is the face of the Toronto Raptors, and he will be signing a new deal with the franchise, according to NBA insider.
According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, the Toronto Raptors are set to sign guard Scottie Barnes to a long-term contract. The reputed analyst mentioned that a five-year rookie extension worth up to $270 million is what Toronto Raptors All-Star guard Scottie Barnes intends to sign. He noted that Barnes is the cornerstone of the team and will earn the highest salary in Raptors history.
He added that to seal the deal for the 2022 NBA Rookie of the Year, Barnes' agent, Bill Duffy of @wmebasketball, met with Masai Ujiri and Bobby Webster in Toronto. Barnes will sign a contract with the Raptors on July 6th as part of a roster reorganization.
Toronto’s gamble on Barnes paid off in the draft
A few people were taken aback when Toronto chose Barnes as the fourth overall pick in the 2021 NBA draft instead of point guard Jalen Suggs. He then went on to win Rookie of the Year, making the investment worthwhile.
The 22-year-old has essentially been untouchable since then whenever any outside interest materialized. During the 2022 and 2023 off-seasons, the Raptors made it clear that they were not trading him when Damian Lillard and Kevin Durant went up for grabs.
This season, Barnes's performance confirmed why. His average was 19.9 points, 8.2 rebounds, 6.1 assists, 1.5 blocks, and 34.1 percent three-point shooting.
Barnes remains the centerpiece of the organization amid changes
Not only did they miss the playoffs for the third time in four years, but removing OG Anunoby and Pascal Siakam from the team represented a larger organizational overhaul. While it would be inaccurate to refer to this as a full-scale rebuild, it was the first time the current front office regime showed a demonstrable willingness to put the future ahead of competing in the present.
Given the Raptors' emphasis on retaining their players, Barnes' re-signing was an obvious choice as the focal point of their strategy.
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