Raptors pick up contract option on Scottie Barnes
The Toronto Raptors have locked in Scottie Barnes for another year.
On Wednesday, the team announced they’d exercised the fourth-year team option on the rookie scale contract of Barnes, which locks in his contract through the 2024-25 season.
Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
This move now makes Barnes extension eligible in July 2024, when he’s able to sign a more long-term deal with Toronto.
Barnes averaged 15.3 points, 6.6 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 1.1 steals and 34.8 minutes in 77 games last season for Toronto.
The fourth overall in the 2021 Draft out of Florida State, Barnes won the 2021-22 NBA Rookie of the Year and is set to begin his third season with high expectations.
“I think one day he’s going to be Defensive Player of the Year. That’s something he wants to be, that he wants to develop into, and I’m going to do everything in my power to help him on that path,” Raptors head coach Darko Rajaković said of the third-year forward on Tuesday.
Barnes had exited the team’s final preseason game with an injury to his foot last weekend, but appears set to go for tonight’s season opener at home against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
“It was hurting a lot,” Barnes said Sunday to reporters at practice. “Whenever I get like… a little ankle tweak, I get really scared. I’ve had some of those in my previous past. So just being precautious about it. That was just the main thing.”