UPDATE: Barnes has been ruled out.
The Raptors are on the second leg of a back-to-back set on Wednesday in Indiana and they may be without their best player. After logging 34.0 minutes and scoring 21 points in Tuesday’s 101-91 loss to the Celtics, Scottie Barnes has been listed as questionable with a left hip contusion. Jakob Poeltl, who has missed the team’s last eight contests, is also questionable to play.
Toronto is going to be a fascinating team to watch down the stretch of the season. At 18-40, the Raptors seem primed to pick up as many ping pong balls as possible in the highly regarded 2025 NBA Draft. However, Toronto happens to have the easiest remaining schedule in the league (opponent winning percentage) by a hilariously wide margin. Its also just five games back of the 10-seed in the Eastern Conference. The Raptors could be a squad that starts strategically resting its key pieces.
If Barnes sits this evening, RJ Barrett would immediately become a very tantalizing asset on DraftKings at only $7,300. With Barnes off the court in 2024-25, Barrett owns a team-high 31.3% usage rate and he averages 1.24 FPTS per minute. In terms of pure value, Gradey Dick, Ja’Kobe Walter and Ochai Agbaji are all priced at $4,000 or less and should see their roles expand. Agbaji would also be a candidate to re-enter the team’s starting lineup.
