RJ Barrett spent the first four years of his NBA career with the New York Knicks as the third overall pick of the 2019 Draft. He was expected to lead the way and turn the team into a perennial playoff contender, but after 345 games, the Duke product was no longer part of their plans.
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The 24-year-old swingman was put in a different situation when he was traded to the Toronto Raptors as part of the OG Anunoby trade last December. In a recent interview with Sharp Magazine’s David Stol, Barrett couldn’t help but reflect and put things into perspective about his time at the Mecca.
“I think people forget that we really built something there,” Barrett said. “When I arrived, we weren’t contending. We weren’t close, really. In my sophomore year, we made the playoffs. Then, we just kept building. We gave the fans something to cheer for and they deserve it, man. It’s a tough city, but you earn their love. I’m glad we got there for them.”
To Barrett’s point, the New York Knicks only won 17 regular season games when he arrived out of Duke in 2019. With him being an integral part of the team, the New York Knicks qualified for the playoffs twice.
The New York Knicks are in a better place now
The New York Knicks are fresh from a deep playoff run in 2023-24. This summer, they’ve also retooled their roster by trading for Mikal Bridges and Keita Bates-Diop and signing Cameron Payne, Precious Achiuwa, Jalen Brunson, and OG Anunoby to new contracts.
In contrast, RJ Barrett and the Toronto Raptors aren’t expected to do much next season because they’re slowly entering their rebuild phase with him and Immanuel Quickley as part of their long-term core.
Barrett and Quickley will return to Madison Square Garden on December 23, when the Toronto Raptors visit the New York Knicks.
