“Trading Scottie Barnes For Giannis Would Be A MISTAKE By The Raptors” | Agreed?

“Trading Scottie Barnes For Giannis Would Be A MISTAKE By The Raptors” | Agreed?

If the Raptors really are pursuing Giannis, do not trade Scotty. Whatever Messiah does, just do not trade Scotty. Welcome to Amitar Answers. It’s a new segment on the channel where I read your comments and react to him. If you want one of your comments featured on next week’s version of this segment, then comment something down below. And while you’re there, especially if you enjoy this episode, make sure you do smash that like button and subscribe to the channel for more Toronto Raptors content from Amateur Hour. But let’s read the whole comment here. It’s in reacting to a video I did this week talking about the possibility of the Raptors trading for Giannis Tenton Kmpo. It is certainly plausible Giannis could want to move on this summer and it’s certainly reasonable suggest the Raptors have enough assets to make that trade happen. But winner one who is a longtime viewer and a big supporter of the channel here does not want to trade Scotty Barnes to make it happen. If the Raptors really are pursuing Giannis, do not trade Scotty. And I know a lot of people want Scotty out of here. And if you saw the other comments from the video, which we’ll get to, people do want Scotty out, but that’s just because y’all just hate on him and don’t see his future leadership potential. Whatever Messiah does, just do not trade Scotty. But we all will see anything is possible ever since that Luca trade. Yes, I have to like preface everything I say these days where I’m like, that’s not going to happen. But it’s like, well, if Luca Don get traded, then anything can happen. Yes, anything can happen here. But on the topic of Scotty Barnes getting traded for Giannis Antento, if that’s the sticking point, I very much like I I think we’re beyond, you know, there was the off seasonason where Kevin Durant was up for trade and the sticking point for the Raptors was Scotty Barnes was not going to be involved. I completely supported that notion at the time, but now that we have some further evidence surrounding Scotty Barnes, kind of makes a little bit more sense now to trade for to trade Scotty Barnes, especially like Giannis is younger than what Kevin Durant was at that time and Giannis like still seemingly in his prime years at the moment has still not dealt with any injury concerns that would keep him out of things. I think it’s a more safe trade, let’s say, than the Kevin Durant trade. And I think at this point, we have a better understanding of who Scotty Barnes is the player. he’s already gonna get gonna be getting paid a ton of money rather than being on a rookie contract. So, the circumstance has changed a little bit. I don’t think he’ll be a sticking point here and I think that there is a very reasonable outcome where the Raptors do actually part with Scotty Barnes to make a trade like this happen if it does come to something like that. But wasn’t the only person who didn’t want to get Scotty Barnes traded for for Giannis. We have official GOAT 8701 saying, “Personally, I’m not trading Scotty. I’d rather see Scotty run point. Bucks need a need need a point guard after the unfortunate injury that happened to Dame and adding Barrett on top of that with four first and two pick swaps is a huge package in which I don’t see how they say no unless other teams throw away their entire future. So I I proposed two trade packages. One of them was Scotty Barnes and RJ Barrett alongside three first and two swaps. The other one I proposed was Emanuel Quickley and RJ Barrett alongside four first and two swaps. So the user here says that the Emanuel Quickley RJ Barrett package was four first. That’s more than enough to make it happen. And the Bucks would absolutely say yes to that. I’m not so sure. I think like a team like the Hawks could even offer up like Jaylen Johnson on Yaka Okongo, maybe even five first round picks. And even then, I’m not sure if the Bucks would say yes to that. And that’s five first round picks. And that’s Jaylen Johnson who is such a fantastic young player. So complicated situation here. I do agree it’s possible that Barrett quickly in four first does get it done but I’ve talked about like the possibility of Barnes get injured but the user here wants Barnes to run point and in this instance if it may traded with RJ Bar the four first now we don’t have a point guard so it’s Scotty Barnes with turn into the point guard this season very much very very very very much proved the notion I’ve had for a while that Scotty Barnes is just not a point guard he is so much better defensively especially when he’s more focused on being like a power forward, defending those areas, help defense force, something I’ve spoken about for years and years and years and finally actually not years. He’s so young, but definitely for at least two years, I’ve been wanting this role for Scotty Barnes. Finally, we are seeing it on defense and what we saw an explosion of talent for Barnes on defense. Offensively, like there’s just not enough tools there to run point. Like your point guard really needs to have pull-up threat, which Emanuel quickly does have, and I’d like to see him use a little bit more. You need to have more pull-up threat and more three-point shooting threat, I think, to be a more successful point guard. You want to come around uh off off a screen and you want that player defending you to have to go over that screen. If that player goes under, you have to punish them by being able to pull up and hit a three. Emanuel Cookie has that. Barnes does not. So, for me, Barnes isn’t quite suited to that position. Doesn’t mean he’s not a fantastic player. He’s a fantastic player in a different position, but I think it would be a mistake by the Raptors to commit to a lineup where Barnes is the starting point guard and I think this season was definitely evidence of that. Further on this conversation, we have a user here who thinks that yes, if Barnes the price for Giannis, you got to do it. We have Kamse 1984. Sorry if I said that wrong. Said Barnes for Giannis is a no-brainer, but the assets to part way in such a trade plus the team depth will be a challenge. So trading away a lot to make it happen. Of course, if that trade happens, yes, Raptors could be near domination number one in the East for the next few seasons on paper at least. Cleveland and an overtax Boston Celtics who so yeah, if the Raptors were to make his trade a and let’s say it’s it’s Barnes and Barrett and a ton of picks for Giannis. I agree that is a contender, bonafide contender like that. Emanuel Quickley is your starting point guard. Grady Dick is your your starting shooting guard. Your forwards are Brandon Ingram and Jiannisken Koopo. Yaka Pearl, your five. That is an extraordinary starting five. There is like a decent amount of talent off the bench for the Raptors. It definitely depletes your ability to fill out the depth because you’ve traded away so many picks for the future. Absolutely. But that is a contender. That is definitely a team worthy of being contender in the Eastern Conference. And I think it could get up to the levels of the Cavaliers and Celtics. probably still favor them in market, but I think that they’re getting close with that team, which makes me think it is something the Raptor should strongest consider pulling the trigger on. Another comment here from the FlashB6857, who’s been a long longtime viewer of the channel as well. If somehow they were able to trade for Giannis without trading Scotty, I would like to see the dichotomy, look at that word, between the two players. They do have similar play styles. However, I do believe Scotty when in a smaller offensive role can be a far more effective floor spacer. By pairing the two all-stars in Ingram and Barnes with a superstar in Giannis, and adding spacing to the roster, specifically around the center position, the team would be a championship caliber team. The offensive fit would be clunky, especially without a floor spacing center and a point guard. So, the rest of it’s cut off, but this is the part that I wanted to answer here on the topic of a floor spacing center. I disagree that this is where the floor spacing for the team needs to come from because like if the Raptors pull out this trade and it’s quickly in Barrett and like they keep Barnes let’s say so you know let’s say the starting five there’s not really a point guard there but you have Barnes you have Ingram you have Giannis and you have Purle not a lot of floor spacing in that group but I disagree that the floor spacing has to come from the center position we’re very very much seeing right now a shift back to the dominant rebounding defenses like rim protecting big man like that is the way the NBA is shifting back towards in fact like we’re getting back into an area where like two big lineups are coming back into fashion which is very exciting to see a guy like Giannis playing with Yaka Purle but like yes you need floor spacing but also like to be a championship caliber team you need very good defense and rim protection and pick and roll play and Yaka Purle offers all of those things. So the solution to me absolutely is not for floor spacing for Yakob Purle to get moved on for a more floor spacing sort of center. Like there even on top of that those are very difficult to come into contact with and actually acquire the floor spacing like yeah that would be a problem with that lineup like you’d have to find a point guard for that team. You’d have to find more floor spacing coming off the bench. But I disagree that that would be coming from Purle. I do agree the fit is clunky, but I think that trading away Purle would would actually create more problems than it would actually solve in this situation. Next comment comes from Phoenix. This is a long longtime view of the channel. Day one viewer of the streams as well. Says, “The second best player in the world.” Yes, yes, and yes. Brandon Ingram is literally Middleton and not washed. We saw how that pairing went in 2021 when the Bucks win a championship. That and if we end up jumping top four into Dylan Harper territory, my god, what a core to build around. So, I actually thought about this during the video as well, where Middleton, his body kind of deserted him in the later stages of his Bucks career, and it’s probably a key reason why the Bucks never really got close to going back to winning an NBA championship. There was a lot of unlucky seasons for the Bucks. Like, they know they won a championship, but they probably could have won more if things kind of fell in their favor a little bit better. But I agree, the Brandon Ingram archetype compared to Middleton, like it’s definitely there. the comparisons and I agree like we saw how good of a fit Middleton was as Giannis. Brandon Ingram can do the exact same thing. So I really like the fit with Brandon Ingram and Jonathan Dubo if he does end up on the team as well. Uh now we shift to the a video that was the previous Q&A or amateur answers that we did on the channel. This actually almost led off this episode. So I was very interested in this comment here from Bruce Spicer 4114 saying, “I’m so tired of R.J. trade talks every single day.” Hey, and then a few days later I made another one talking about trading RJ Barrett to the Bucks. Sorry, Bruce. R.J. has played his ass off this year. Game in and game out. To trade him is a farce. American players overall don’t want to be here. Kawhi Leonard won a championship and still left. Well, I mean, there are Americans who did want to play here like, you know, Kyle Larry and Demar De Rozan, but you know, understand that they don’t always attract American players. To have a homegrown player who led your team in scoring and played hard and proud every night is not an asset you trade. His dynamics overtake his contract. good players can play in any system. RJ could and will adjust to Brandon, Scotty, IQ or whoever. He will work hard to improve his defense. Keep this kid. So, I understand like why people really like R.J. Barrett as a player. Like, not only is he Canadian, but like he does embody a lot of the things that Raptors fans uh enjoy. like, yeah, determined, hardworking player who has developed with the Raptors, who has molded his game to fit a little bit better next to his new teammates with each Raptors did lead the team in scoring this season. But like that only gets you so far like from a determination and a work ethic standpoint, but like the Raptors are are really seemingly trying to start to win games starting next season. And if they feel as though they can get a better team out of trading RJ Barrett, I think they’re going to do that. And I think there is a recognition that the fit overall still is a little bit clunky. And it’s not at the point where there’s enough talent. Like, you know, when you talk about Giannis, Ingram, and Barnes together, that’s clunky. But there’s so much talent there that you kind of want to try it out to see if it can work. I’m not quite sure if like Barrett, Barnes, and Ingram gets into that tier of it’s just too good. who have to try and make it work together because there’s so much talent there. That’s where I kind of have a little bit of a disagreement here. I do agree that there’s a lot to like about RJ Barrett, but I just don’t think there’s quite enough talent that pushes it beyond the point of thinking like, okay, I’m still not convinced about how this is going to work. I think the good news here for Bruce in the comments is that it’s unlikely to me that RJ Barrett does get traded this off season. So, at the very least, we will we will at least get to see what it looks like together if R.J. can improve in so in enough areas to differentiate himself to make this core really really work together and if so that would be very exciting. I think we will get an opportunity to see that which I think is a good news for people who want to keep RJ Barrett but I think I I’d be surprised if front office wasn’t like looking at this and thinking that RJ Barrett is a bit of the odd man out but again understand completely why people would be so inclined to keep him. We have halfeaten sandwich zero who says Brandon Ingram will be in the all-star conversation. I I think that’s like no doubt Brandingham not maybe not no doubt but I I I would be very confident that Branding was going to put himself into some all-star conversations this season. Maybe not quite making the team but he’s been an all-star once in the West. If he can stay healthy in this Eastern Conference, it’s a little bit more open. I think if Brandon Ingram has a, you know, Brandon Ingram caliber season, if the Raptors work to enhance his strengths, maybe we can upgrade the volume from three a little bit more. I think absolutely he’ll be in a very, very strong All-Star conversation. But it’s actually a chatter or a commenter that goes even further than this because Bibsley 99 says Brandon Ingram and Scotty, including injury replacements for the All-Star game, will both be 2026 Allstars if the Raptors are at least a six year or better due to the lack of forwards in the East. I think it’d be bit tough for the Raptors to get both of the players in this, but both have been allstars before. Why not? Like if the Raptors are a top six team, I think certainly it’s a possibility. This is a big proclamation saying they are gonna do it, but you know, they are mentioning this comment that it would also take injury replacement for that to happen, which you know, granted that that could be something that comes to fruition. I can see it. I think Ingram’s got the better opportunity. Perhaps Barnes fills in as an injury replacement, but I I do think this combo is going to work well together. I I do think it will work well. Barnes played very very well when he played next to Pascal Seakum. Barnes was an all-star playing next to Pascal Seakkum. Seakkum still has tons of talent. Like he was an all-star this year, might be all NBA this year. So still tons of talent in a player like him. So no problem with a guy as talented as Brandingham playing with Barnes. And no problem with a guy as talented as Barnes playing with Ingram. I think they absolutely can both be allstars. But I would favor Ingram getting there before Scotty Barnes. Another comment here from Shannon Ferguson featured in all three of these episodes. Now, uh, me and Shann have kind of disagreed with this stuff in the conversations here, but I do always appreciate the counterpoints being brought up, and Shannon Fergus has been watching the channel for a very long time. So, I appreciate that as well. But this is in reaction to Emanuel Quickley. The previous amateur answers that we did here led off with somebody calling Emanuel Quickley potentially toxic asset down the line. And I I really do like Emanuel Quickley as a player, so I push back on that. But Shannon Ferguson notes that 42% from the field isn’t good, and that’s what Emanuel Clify’s field goal percentage was this season. Defense is below average. IQ didn’t really look like a top half of the league point guard. In regards to toxic asset, it’s interesting that anyone who would think RJ was ever a toxic asset would be of the opinion it’s absurd to speculate about IQ being one at a much larger contract and not even the production R.J. had in New York. just comes to me. I don’t think I ever Maybe it is about maybe something else. I don’t I never uh called RJ Barrett ne like like a toxic asset, but I I did when the Raptors traded for him. I didn’t think it was a good asset. I thought it was New York kind of getting off of a not so great asset when they traded RJ Barrett to the Toronto Raptors because of his efficiency. And efficiency is a very broad term, but like it’s it’s 2025. We absolutely need to go away from using field goal percentage as a marker of efficiency. It is just such a misleading statistic. Let’s take like a very extreme example, but like this this will paint the point I’m I’m trying to make here. Steph Curry shoots 44.8% from the field. Okay, 44.8%. Steph Curry is one of the most efficient players in the entire NBA. He shoots well above 60% true shooting percentage which is a better determination of efficiency true shooting percent because it encapsulates uh encapsulates uh two-pointers three-pointers as being more valuable than two-pointers and free throws because your efficiency in getting to the line is actually very important as well as a basketball player. If you don’t want to count free throws then you can just do effective field percentage which is twos and threes but it counts but it it does value threes more heavily than twos because yeah threes are worth three and twos are worth two. That’s one more point for shooting a three. Anyways, Steph Curry shoots 44.8% from the field, but he’s a very efficient player. Demard Rosen shoots 47.7% from the field. Are we about to sit here and pretend like because Demard Rosen shoots that much better from the field, 47.7 compared to 44.8 that Demar Rosen is a more efficient player? No, absolutely not. Demar Rosen takes the easier shots from two. Two-pointers are easier to make than three-pointers and therefore are worth less points than a three-pointer. So for Emanuel Quickley, his true shooting percentage is up like 57ish%. Which could still be better, but that’s that’s decent. That’s decent. So to say that he’s not an efficient player because of a 42% field percentage is is incredibly misleading. Not really getting the full picture of a player uh from an efficiency standpoint. So again, a little a little bit misleading here, but I I wouldn’t go as far as to call Emanuel Cookie a toxic asset. And I I I really don’t think I’ve ever referred to RJ Bar as a toxic acid. Like that’s a very very strong term. Like I said in the previous Q&A that toxic acid is something that makes the rest of the team worse. Like he brings down the people around him. Like you could say maybe like I it’s still even extreme. But like example top of my head is Russell Westbrook in LA with the Lakers. That might be the closest. But uh yeah I I don’t I don’t think RJ Barrett was a toxic asset coming out of New York. I didn’t think he was a good asset. I thought it was a bad asset coming out of New York. Definitely proven me wrong on that one. Uh, speaking of toxic asset access asset, excuse me, we have Gregory here, one of the amazing members on the channel, saying he will never be a toxic asset. He could become a victim of toxic toxic fans and toxic media. I very, very much agree with this one. It feels like a lot of the time Raptors fans want to believe there’s a toxic asset. They want to like villainize a player on this team. For years, for years and years and years, it was Pascal Seakkum. And it was unbelievable that since Pascal Seakkum has been branded as this a as this by a lot of people as a toxic asset, as a bad asset for the Raptors. Since being labeled as such, he made another AllNBA and all-star appearance with the Toronto Raptors and has now left the Raptors and been an all-star with the Indiana Pacers. and he has a very good case of making an allNBA team this year with the Indiana Pacers. So, uh, this happened to Seakkum. This has happened with Fred Van Vleet where like Fred Van has gone to Houston and and there’s still these labels against him. But the reality is when Fred Van Vleet is playing, the Houston Rockets are better. They had a bit of a mini freef fall midseason in win loss when Fred Van Vleet got injured like it’s just these types of players. Rather want to villainize a player, but the reality is Manuel Clicky is a good player who got injured unlucky. Like the first year of his career, he got injured. The first time in his career, he has gotten injured. And that is used very strongly against him. I just have an issue with a player with things beyond their control and actually playing good basketball when they’re healthy. I I I take issue when that player is consistently ridiculed by the fan base. Last one that we have here, we have LeBron fan 109. What are you doing on the Raptor channel? Saying, I love Scotty, but if he doesn’t become Love Scotty, what are you you LeBron fan? I I love Scotty, but if he doesn’t become a 1A superstar next season, he and his contract are going to prevent us from winning a chip, and moves should be discussed. I I don’t agree. There’s a lot of teams out there who have multiple players on max contracts, both of which can’t be the number one player on the team. Who and there’s a there are teams that have multiple max contract players who have championship pedigree. Barnes is 23 years old. He is nowhere near his prime. He’s already been an all-star and he is 23 years old. He is nowhere near his prime as of yet. So to say like, okay, one year’s time, he’s still not a 1A superstar. He’ll be a 24 year old player who is still not even close to his who’s still years and years away from reaching his prime. I don’t think that that con is going to prevent the Raptors from winning a championship. Full stop. Like the Raptors literally could afford to trade for Giannis this summer and have Barnes on his max contract, Ingram on his near max contract, and Giannis on his super max contract. The Raptors can afford all of those players on the team together. So, it’s not like this contract is going to is crippling to the Raptors. Barnes is a very good player. He has showcased that in the past. And one would say for a player who is 23 years old, like he’s he’s two years younger than me here. One would say a player that young still isn’t even in their prime and can continue to get better and better as the year goes forward. So, to so so to make the black and white statement, if he’s not 1A by the end of next season, that’s a bad contract. I I just don’t agree with

It would be a mistake for the Toronto Raptors to trade Scottie Barnes for Giannis Antetokounmpo? The Raptors need to trade Poeltl for a Giannis trade to make sense? Brandon Ingram AND Scottie Barnes will be All-Stars next season?

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0:00 – Do not trade Scottie Barnes for Giannis Antetokounmpo
2:18 – Keep Barnes and let him run point for the Raptors
4:55 – If Giannis is available you have to trade Scottie Barnes
6:14 – The Raptors need to trade Poeltl if they get Giannis
8:21 – Brandon Ingram is Khris Middleton but not washed
9:24 – You do not trade players like RJ Barrett
12:15 – Brandon Ingram will be in the All-Star conversation
12:53 – Brandon Ingram AND Scottie Barnes WILL be All-Stars
14:07 – Immanuel Quickley is not efficient
17:51 – Immanuel Quickley could become a victim of toxic fans and media
19:29 – There is a problem if Scottie isn’t a 1A superstar in 1 year

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