NBA cap specialist Scottie Barnes evaluates the Raptors’ deal and points out the apparent…
Maximum contracts don’t just appear. If nothing else, consideration ought to go into selecting which players receive maximum contracts. Which players receive maximum contracts matters, particularly under the NBA’s new salary limit landscape with punitive penalties for having an expensive roster.
Ben Simmons, Bradley Beal, Zach LaVine, and more players with some of the worst contracts in the league were given max deals to unworthy fringe players who then failed to live up to their potential. Scottie Barnes received a maximum contract from the Toronto Raptors this summer, worth $224.2 million spread over five seasons. The agreement will start at $38.7 million in 2025–2026.
Also, Barnes was successful in securing “Rose Rule” wording into the agreement, which will increase his salary by five percent of the cap should he be selected to an All-NBA team. The deal would then begin at $46.4 million and end at $269.1 million.
Was it appropriate for the Raptors to offer Barnes such a big contract? NBA salary cap analyst Eric Pincus assessed each contract extension given to players from the 2021 Draft class, which includes Scottie Barnes after the Raptors selected him fourth overall. Eric Pincus worked with Bleacher Report. Pincus awarded a few max contracts; how did he evaluate Barnes’ deal? by traversing the center.
Speaking of the Raptors, it is evident
In order to keep their struggling team in the lead, the Toronto Raptors were not offering a newly signed superstar a maximum salary. After pointing out that “The Toronto Raptors weren’t very good” with only 25 wins in the previous season, Pincus reiterates the obvious by saying that “the Raptors weren’t precisely dominant last season.”
A maximum deal makes sense for a club captained by a young player who is currently playing at the highest levels. The appraisal becomes a little more challenging when the player has not yet reached his full potential or is playing on a poor team where he hasn’t shown that he can lead the squad to victory.
Barnes could have been convinced to accept a lesser amount by the Raptors pressing harder during their negotiations. In the modern NBA, such a move would have been somewhat unprecedented. That is basically how it works: if a player makes it to the All-Star team in his first three seasons,, he is receiving the maximum. While Barnes’ team isn’t “precisely dominant,” and he may not yet be an MVP contender, as Pincus notes, the Raptors’ “internal confidence” in Barnes’ ability to lead the club and his All-Star status clinched the deal.
Barnes is perhaps the most accomplished player in the class, but he was by no means the only one to obtain a maximum contract extension. Although they had not yet attained the same degree of personal success as Barnes, Franz Wagner, Evan Mobley, and Cade Cunningham were all awarded maximum contracts. These contract renewals are a precursor to future developments in some ways. That’s how the market has operated for the past few years, whether it’s worth it or not.
Pincus evaluates the extension from Barnes
Returning to Pincus and his assessment, he finally admitted that this was certain to occur. The Rose Rule has the advantage of allowing a player to publicly announce that they signed a $270 million deal when the Raptors are only responsible for $224, unless the player is selected to the All-NBA team, in which case they would probably be willing to pay the greater price.
Additionally, the Raptors denied Barnes the opportunity to negotiate a player option. Barnes’ contract will rise less each year even at the maximum amount than the salary cap is expected to, so if he develops into a consistent All-Star player, the fifth and final year will probably be somewhat of a deal.
Pincus gives this agreement a “B+,” which is by far the highest rating among his contemporaries with max contracts. The Pistons received a “C-” for the Cunningham transaction because their window for competitive play is so far off, but Wagner and Mobley received a “B-” since their progress is not as realized as Barnes’.
Before his contract begins, Barnes has one more cheap year, so he’ll be vying for a spot on the All-NBA team in an effort to get his deal extended. Barnes’ potential to become a player ranked in the Top 20 will probably make the Raptors happy to pay him.
The Raptors are excited to see a full season of their explosive “BBQ” trio hometown favorite RJ Barrett, franchise cornerstone Scottie Barnes, and the lightning-fast Immanuel Quickly as NBA 2024–25 regular season approaches.
One of the team’s veteran players, Gary Trent Jr., decided to accept a one-year contract with the Milwaukee Bucks after the free agency period. One of two players—former NBA champion Bruce Brown or up-and-coming Gradey Dick—will start as shooting guard. The squad will run it back, minus the hole left by GTJ, with seasoned player Jakob Poeltl anchoring the center position, where he hopes to maintain his health as the team’s main big man.
Following the 2024 NBA Draft, the squad added four new players: Ja’Kobe Walter of Baylor, Jonathan Mogbo of USF, Jamal Shead of Houston, and Ulrich Chomche of NBA Academy Africa. Shead was acquired by the Sacramento Kings for Davion Mitchell, a tough defender, in exchange for the 45th overall pick. The Toronto Raptors acquired former Atlanta Hawks big man Bruno Fernando in addition to their draft prospects. They also made deals for a number of unsung heroes, such as Branden Carlson, Jamison Battle, and Jared Rhoden.
We can now evaluate the Toronto Raptors’ chances of finishing in the Eastern Conference this season in light of their offseason actions.
The starting three will likely go through a learning curve in the 2024–25 NBA season as they work their way through a squad that is full of both rookie players and seasoned veterans. Although Barnes, Barrett, and Quickley have the ability to guide their team to success, the Raptors’ ability to be a serious contender in the East may be hampered by the inexperienced or mismatched supporting group. Even if Toronto might have some success, it’s critical to note that they haven’t taken any significant steps to advance into the Eastern Conference’s elite group.
The Toronto Raptors are projected to finish in the ninth or tenth seed, just missing out on a play-in opportunity, given the present dynamics at the bottom of the Eastern Conference. The Atlanta Hawks, who traded for Dejounte Murray, suffered a blow. Last season, they finished 10th in the Eastern Conference. They are anticipated to drop a few spots in the standings as they put more emphasis on the development of Zaccharie Risacher and Dyson Daniels, two up-and-coming prospects. The Toronto Raptors have a genuine chance to emerge as the next Hawks—tough enough to contend for a postseason berth, but not inept enough to earn a top lottery pick.
In order to increase their chances of obtaining Duke commit Cooper Flagg, who is widely regarded as the best talent available in the 2025 NBA Draft, the Raptors would prefer to fully adopt a tanking approach. But given that the Brooklyn Nets, Charlotte Hornets, Washington Wizards, and Detroit Pistons all look intent on tanking, it doesn’t seem plausible that the Raptors will finish lower. As previously said, the Hawks and the Chicago Bulls, whose rosters also include a mix of seasoned players and up-and-coming talent, are their primary rivals for a late play-in push.
Even though it’s usually advantageous to select several players in one draft class, it’s crucial to remember that none of the Toronto Raptors’ present roster players are particularly noteworthy for their ability to drastically improve the team’s standings in the Eastern Conference. For the Raptors to have a chance in the playoffs, Walter, Shead, Mogbo, and Chomche will need a lot of NBA experience to become used to the fast-paced nature of the league.
It’s clear that in order to complete the BBQ trifecta and differentiate themselves from the opposition, the squad might still need a superstar or, at the absolute least, a high-level scorer. The 2024–25 season will probably be similar to the one that came before it. Nevertheless, the BBQ trio has the ability to refute that idea and show that they are capable of leading a group of people to success.
The Toronto Raptors may surprise observers and supporters with a postseason push akin to their 2021–2022 campaign. But given their realistic floor, they might end up in the play-in range or slightly outside of it, ending in the eleventh or twelfth position once more. Put simply, go into the 2024–25 Toronto Raptors season with reasonable expectations and faith in the team’s ability to balance youthful talent with seasoned veterans.