RJ Barrett was traded by the New York Knicks to the Toronto Raptors and the lefty is excited to play for his hometown club.
Barrett was born and raised in Toronto.
The Knicks selected Barrett with the third overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft out of Duke. Barrett is averaging 18.2 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.4 assists this season while shooting 42.3% from the floor, 33.1% from beyond the arc and 83.1% from the free-throw line.
NBA NEWS, TRADE RUMORS: RJ Barrett, New York Knicks, Toronto Raptors Updates
Barrett is making $23.9 million this season. He signed a four-year, $120 million extension with the Knicks in September 2022.
The 23-year-old Barrett has career averages of 18.1 points, 5.3 rebounds and 2.8 assists. He now gets to play for the team he grew up rooting for, which has to be special for Barrett and his family. The swingman is a career 42.2% shooter from the field, 34.2% shooter from 3 and 72.0% shooter from the foul line.
The Raptors seem to be building around Barrett, Immanuel Quickley and Scottie Barnes. NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN is reporting that Toronto is expected to trade All-Star forward Pascal Siakam after trading OG Anunoby to the Knicks.
NBA NEWS, TRADE RUMORS: RJ Barrett, New York Knicks, Toronto Raptors Updates
Barrett is a gifted scorer, but he needs to improve his efficiency from the field. It will be fascinating to see if the Ontario native can become a more efficient scorer with the Raptors, who are in 12th place in the Eastern Conference standings with a record of 12-20.
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