Despite an impressive playoff outing, Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic believes the NBA has not seen the best of Scottie Barnes.
The Toronto Raptors’ playoff run ended Sunday night in Cleveland. Jarrett Allen tied his playoff career high with 22 points and grabbed 19 rebounds as the Cavaliers eliminated Toronto 114-102 in Game 7, ending the Raptors’ first postseason appearance since 2022.
For Toronto, the exit stings. But the foundation this group revealed over seven games against a legitimate Eastern Conference contender gave the organization every reason to feel encouraged about what comes next. And no player embodies that optimism more than Scottie Barnes.
Darko Rajakovic Doubles Down on Scottie Barnes as Toronto’s Future
Barnes finished the series averaging 24.1 points, 6.1 rebounds, 8.6 assists, 1.1 steals, and 1.7 blocks per game. In Game 7 specifically, he delivered 24 points and nine rebounds in a losing effort, carrying the Raptors offensively in an arena that had swallowed them whole all series.
After the loss, head coach Darko Rajakovic was emphatic about what he saw from his franchise player across seven games.
“For this stage of his career, I think he gave it all,” Rajakovic said. “He made a huge stride. He got so much better in this playoff series. But this is not the best version of Scottie that we’re going to see. I know how hungry he is, how much he’s going to work over the course of the summer, and what kind of player he’s going to be next year. I think we’re going to see an even better Scottie next year.”
Barnes is a two-time All-Star who, in his first playoff run as the Raptors’ frontman, carried a roster that was without Immanuel Quickley for the entire series and lost Brandon Ingram to right heel inflammation for the final two games. The fact that Toronto pushed Cleveland to seven games under those conditions and with Barnes leading the charge speaks directly to what he has developed into.
The core of this team is expected to return next season. Barnes, Ingram, RJ Barrett, Jakob Poeltl, Gradey Dick, Ja’Kobe Walter, and Collin Murray-Boyles are all under contract for 2026-27.
The Raptors came into this series with nothing to lose and nearly pulled off one of the more stunning upsets of the first round. Barnes was one of the reasons it got as far as it did. If Rajakovic is right, and the evidence suggests he is, Cleveland and the rest of the Eastern Conference haven’t seen the last of him.
After missing the playoffs for three straight seasons, the Raptors proved in 2026 that they are one of the young teams to watch out for in the coming years.