After winning 13 of 14 games from October 31 to November 26, the Raptors have cooled down. Toronto is 1-6 in their last seven. The team is 15-11 in 2025-26.
That is fifth in the Eastern Conference. The team has been with RJ Barrett since November 24. His absence coincides with the Raptors’ rough stretch over the last seven games. Despite being one of the team’s top players, RJ Barrett’s name is being floated in trade rumors. ESPN’s Shams Charania suggests that Barrett could be moved in a deal for Toronto to acquire Anthony Davis from the Mavericks.
RJ Barrett could be traded by the Raptors at the 2025-26 deadline
The Raptors, an expected trade suitor for Anthony Davis, would need to offer RJ Barrett and Jakob Poeltl to near a salary-matching package for the Mavericks.
Davis alongside Scottie Barnes and Brandon Ingram creates a formidable trio for Toronto to vault up in a wide open East. pic.twitter.com/biC4Kwcrq2
— Evan Sidery (@esidery) December 11, 2025
Twenty-five-year-old RJ Barrett has missed the last nine consecutive games for the Raptors due to injury. Following a PRP injection in his knee, Barrett is out for at least one more week. The former first-round pick is in his seventh professional season and third with Toronto. He was traded to the Raptors at the 2023-24 deadline when the Knicks acquired O.G. Anunoby. Barrett, a Toronto native, has started all 107 games he’s appeared in for the Raptors.
In 2025-26, Barrett has started 17 games. He is averaging 19.4 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 3.8 assists. Despite being one of the top players on the roster, NBA insiders suggest Barrett could be on the trade block. There are no active rumors of RJ Barrett being shopped by the Raptors. ESPN’s Shams Charania said Barrett might be part of a larger trade package.
BleacherReport claims RJ Barrett is the most likely raptor to be traded pic.twitter.com/TjTCEYNuzT
— 𝙯𝙤 (@ogchabzo) December 10, 2025
Charania noted Toronto is one of several teams with interest in Anthony Davis. Rumors are swirling that the Mavericks could part ways with Davis just one year after he was traded to the team. Shams Charania said financial realities make RJ Barrett a realistic trade candidate for the Raptors this season.
RJ Barrett is on the books for $27.7 million in 2025-26 and $29.6 million in 2026-27. For a quality starter, that’s more than a fair contract for Barrett. Insiders suggest that a combination of Jakob Poeltl and RJ Barrett could be traded for Anthony Davis. Together, their salaries match Davis’s $54 million in 2025-26. With how the season has started for Toronto, don’t be surprised to see them active near the trade deadline. Will the team part ways with Toronto native RJ Barrett?
