The Toronto Raptors have received more bad news.
Scottie Barnes is expected to miss several weeks due to a right ankle sprain, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania. The injury happened during the third quarter of Monday night’s game against the New York Knicks when Karl-Anthony Towns came down on Barnes’ foot.
The Raptors announced that Barnes will be be reevaluated in one week, per TSN’s Josh Lewenberg.
This is another huge setback for Barnes. He just returned from an orbital fracture that had him sidelined for 11 games. Also, this ruins his chances at the All-NBA team, which would have made him eligible for a supermax contract extension. Under the NBA’s new collective bargaining agreement, players must appear in at least 65 games to qualify for All-NBA honors. Barnes can only miss 7 more games without losing eligibility for those honors. With his current injury, it’s unlikely he’ll meet that threshold, ending his chance at a supermax which costs him a potential $45 million.
For the Raptors, Barnes’ absence leaves a big hole in their rotation. The team has been depleted this season with a series of injuries. Immanuel Quickley (elbow) and Bruce Brown (knee) remain out.
Prior to this injury, Barnes had been putting up a career-best season, averaging 20.6 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 7.4 assists per game while shooting 46.1 percent from the field.
The next few weeks will be important in terms of determining the season trajectory for the Raptors. Nineteen of the Raptors’ next 20 matchups are against teams currently in a playoff/play-in spot. The Raptors have gone 2-9 without Barnes so far this season, so it will be an uphill battle without him.
The road to recovery for Barnes begins now and hopefully he can return to All-Star form.
Raptors sign A.J. Lawson to two-way deal
The Toronto Raptors are filling their two-way contract spot with a Canadian talent.
The Raptors have agreed to a deal with A.J. Lawson, according to HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto.
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