The Toronto Raptors may have massively overvalued Scottie Barnes

It’s become clear, the Toronto Raptors were wrong about Scottie Barnes. 

Through the first 31 games of the season, the Toronto Raptors have not been the team that many expected them to be. At the moment, the Raptors are 13-18 and are ranked 10th in the Eastern Conference standings. This is not the reality that many inside the organization envisioned before the season.

And it’s time for the front office to answer some of those missteps from the offseason.

The story of the offseason revolved around Kevin Durant and his trade demand. However, there was one subplot that involved the Raptors and, specifically, Scottie Barnes. The Raptors were linked to Durant but, according to reports, refused to include Barnes in any potential deal. That all but eliminated the Durant to Toronto possibility.

And while it may be a little early to revisit it, you can’t help but wonder if the Raptors made the wrong decision.

The Raptors are reeling, the Brooklyn Nets are surging, and Durant should be in the conversation for best player in the world again with how he’s playing.

As amazing as it may seem, Durant is averaging a career-high 30 points, seven rebounds, and five assists per game on 57 percent shooting from the field and 36 percent from 3-point range. Somewhat unfairly, Barnes, on the other hand, is having a difficult sophomore season in which he’s averaging fewer minutes per game, a lower shooting percentage, and more turnovers per game than he did during his Rookie of the Year campaign.

I guess the big question is if you were to swap Barnes, Gary Trent Jr., and, say, Precious Achiuwa (along with a collection of future first-round picks) for Durant if the Raptors would be in a better situation this season.

I think the answer is yes. And this is the tricky spot. The Raptors have a pretty deep roster. Parting ways with some of it in exchange for Durant was something the Raptors didn’t want to do. In retrospect, it may have been the wrong decision.

The Toronto Raptors should have traded Scottie Barnes for Kevin Durant

But I don’t think you can sit here and continue to argue that the Raptors shouldn’t have traded for Durant. Or at least have been open to the possibility of it even if it came at the cost of Barnes. For as talented as Barnes is, the likelihood is that he’ll never have the season that Durant is having right now.

And for an organization that has proven in the past that they’re willing to go all-in even for one season (which they did with Kawhi Leonard), it makes their decision during the offseason even more peculiar.

I don’t think it’s something we can say definitively but I think it’s a fair statement to make – the Raptors may have overplayed their Scottie Barnes hand. He may end up being a very good player down the line but it’s also not outrageous to say that the Raptors made a huge mistake by not making him available during the offseason for Kevin Durant.