The Raptors disrespected RJ Barrett…Now they’re paying for it
The Toronto Raptors are at a familiar fork in the road with a hometown hero looking for a contract, a championship hero back for a good time but NOT a long time, a young blossoming star who seems to be losing his mind, and a young roster which feels fragmented. Let me break down the situation as I understand it, why it’s broken the way it has, and what I actually know for sure is happening.
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0:00 The RJ Barrett Contract Question
1:30 Revisiting RJ’s Media Day
5:06 What Gets a Player Paid?
6:09 The DeMar DeRozan Parallel
8:18 Team Sacrifice and Contract Pressure
15:46 An Imagined Agent Conversation
21:09 RJ on Improving His Game
25:36 Toronto’s Recurring Contract Problem
30:20 What Playing Here Means
34:09 Controlling What You Can
37:41 When Team Connection Cuts Both Ways
41:58 How Rob Read the Signals
45:56 Can Public Scrutiny Change Things?
49:02 Talking It Out as Teammates
51:22 What a Contract Represents
54:45 Could Two-Way Play Help RJ?
đź“Š Raptors player performances, stats and film breakdowns
🎯 Toronto’s offensive and defensive schemes
đź‘€ Raptors rookies, bench rotation and emerging contributors
🧠What this tells us about the 2026-27 Raptors
đź’¬ LIVE Raptors fan reactions, questions and debate
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Dude raps problems potl been given the starter job but was always a backup center, sheas a backup and quickley. 3 big problems
Amazing video and bang on. If RJ and Quick are prioritizing getting RJ paid over team basketball, make a trade. Period.
You nailed it Rob!!
Funny how you are going the same Pascal and Fred route again. Lol
I guess the Raptors became better without them huh
Great observations!
You have to split them (RJ/IQ), RJ is just the easier one to split. Keep hovering around .500 maybe even better depending on when Kawhi comes back until Dec 15. Then pull the trigger on RJ either to LAC or CHI for depth pieces. RJ for Strus+Lopez works money wise too.
This channel destroying a player again.
Same old same old.
Well balanced pod – nice work Pen
0:00 The RJ Barrett Contract Question
1:30 Revisiting RJ’s Media Day
5:06 What Gets a Player Paid?
6:09 The DeMar DeRozan Parallel
8:18 Team Sacrifice and Contract Pressure
15:46 An Imagined Agent Conversation
21:09 RJ on Improving His Game
25:36 Toronto’s Recurring Contract Problem
30:20 What Playing Here Means
34:09 Controlling What You Can
37:41 When Team Connection Cuts Both Ways
41:58 How Rob Read the Signals
45:56 Can Public Scrutiny Change Things?
49:02 Talking It Out as Teammates
51:22 What a Contract Represents
54:45 Could Two-Way Play Help RJ?
you are absolutely right
Quit ignoring the Darko issue! He's the one who has to deal with this because he's the creator of the problem. Scottie, does not need to clean up Darko's shit. Yeah, Scottie can kick some ass regarding lazy play, but, he ain't orchestrating the team and its style. He ain't making the lineups. He isn't making the excuses as we continue to kiss the ass of players that don't deserve the roles they've been given. This is a continual Toronto problem whether it's the Jays, Leafs or Raptors. Build a fkn winner not a milquetoast mediocre team that plays well with the bleeping media. Have y'all learned nothing? Darko needs to feel the heat as does Bobby this is their problem and they need to Fix It!
Why raptors thought it would ok to start season with him is beyond me. He is still playing with no contract. I feel his frustration. They should've traded him from time
Let me play devils advocate.
Let’s say the CMBs 3point leap is real, the defense gets better and the screening stays great.
Is there a world where Kawhi returns and just flat out has better synergy with CMB?
If that happened, would the front office even consider giving Scottie Barnes the “derozan” treatment if a trade opportunity that would give us a better contention chance arises?
If I wanted to make him more expendable, I’d use a lottery pick on a dude who plays the same position and has a similar skillset. Then Id probably trade for a superstar and franchise legend who happens to play the same position as well to soften the blow on fans. Next id probably sign another rookie who plays the same position for additional depth and bring on a vet who plays that position for the playoffs.
Wait a minute….
Good for RJ!! So many players go hard with stats on contract years (Kawhi Leonard as an example). I hope they can find a way to keep him in Toronto but if they trade him I hope he gets paid in free agency.
Good job handling the troll my guy
13:28 #KOARM man o man… droppin truths …dropping proper analysis and breakin it all down.. like we all know how only Pen can do…already 2k views within hours…go get em man ….you are the #KINGofallRaptorsMedia… You are crowned with truth and facts..
IQ is toxic to the team and bad point guard
Keep on uploading videos like this even though people hate on you. This is the exact reason why many like me watch you because you keep it real. Anyone who knows even the little amount of ball knows rj isn’t a starter on a winning championship contender team.
People saying if we give RJ his money will be in a Christian Braun situation. Jakobs money is the Christian Braun situation
Hi Pen. Under normal circumstances, I believe that RJ is better at the PG position than IQ. He did a good job in the playoffs with Scottie in terms of handling and distributing the ball as well as improving his 3pt shooting. Over the years, I believe that he has shown good playmaking skills.
So in order to keep RJ, which I want to do, I believe that he replaces IQ's responsibility at PG or another PG is traded in to replace him. IQ is traded either by himself or in a package. Some thoughts follow:
(PG/SG) Immanuel Quickley ($32.5M) + 2 2nds for (C/PF) Naz Reid ($23.3M)
– IQ is overpaid and inconsistent but talented. So I am pondering how much extra draft capital it will take to get a deal done factoring the over pay and extra salary. Is 2 2nds enough?
– The Hornets have Moussa Diabate a 24yr center and some young power forwards at 20 and 21. Do they really need 27 year old Naz Reid? They benched him. Did they get him as a trade chip?
– Could IQ and Coby White work well as a back court?
– The money works out as the Hornets have the room to take on the extra salary. This saves the Raptors money and puts the them $5.6M under the tax and $11.2M under the 1st apron.
In addition to IQ moving, maybe this also has a chance to get off the Poeltl contract as the Clippers will be hungry for more draft picks, given the league penalty on them
(PG/SG) Immanuel Quickley ($32.5M) + (C) Jacob Poeltl ($19.5M) + 2029 1st + 2 2nds for (PG) Darius Garland ($42.2M) + Brook Lopez ($9.2M)
– Brook Lopez is 38yrs old and in the last year of his deal. Getting draft capital for him would interest the Clippers
– Darius Garland is a better overall PG than Immanuel Quickley. Jacob Poeltl's contract is among the worst in the league. Is the 2029 1st and 2 2nds enough? I'm not sure about another 1st.
– From Darius Garland interview, he seems frustrated by being on a losing team. The blown lead in the Raptors loss adds to it. I have seen some negativity from Clipper fans/channels about him.
– The money works out as the Clippers have the room to take on the extra salary. This saves the Raptors money and puts them 4.9M under the 1st apron.
What do you think Pen and anyone else? Cheers!!
Every time I write/type out a Raptors lineup it’s always with Scottie as the PG.
Trade IQ and Jak for a different asset(s). Try to sign RJ ti a deal that allows the Jakobe extension. Move Scottie to PG.
Target a Big Man at Trade deadline or Buyout Market.
Go Raps!
You have to told the audience and yourself a great story. This is not like Fred VanVleet, the biggest issue with VanVleet which pissed off OG and Pascal was that the Raptors prioritized VanVleet while they didn't prioritize the other guys including Norm. So when time came for their contracts the Raptors didn't call their number. Instead the Raptors traded 1st Norm then OG then Pascal. As for VanVleet the Raptors were willing to die on that hill until Houston screwed the market up with that ridiculous contract. I didn't need to be on the inside of the locker room to know how selfish VanVleet was because he was a backup guard demanding to start. It showed every time the Raptors were in the playoffs minus the career 9 games he had. Orlando, Philly, Boston, Chicago, Philly all destroyed him.
Essentially you are saying RJ is like most professional athletes they believe in themselves, have great confidence. One thing I will say is that RJ wants to win and he is team first. You have picked out questions about his contract which he has to answer and can't just disregard the reporter.
Well said and I can't disagree with u. Weve seen this movie so many times.
Great conversation, and I like RJ. But you’ve got to keep it real contracts and team composition has been mismanaged. Now you’ve decided to bring on a 35 year old Kawhi. There’s no room for more mistakes including of inaction.
Darko had a chance to find some way to show it can work (although that doesn’t speak to the impossible money situation) and it didn’t — but that’s not on him really. Obviously goes to the man making the personnel decisions at the end of the day