RJ Barrett Talks Return to Raptors After Brother's Death: He Would Want Me to Be Here

Toronto Raptors wing RJ Barrett spoke Friday about returning to the team for the first time since the death of his brother.

Barrett, whose younger brother Nathan died March 12, discussed what went into his decision to return to basketball this week:

The 23-year-old Barrett suggested that he is following what his brother's wishes would have been, saying: "If I know my brother, he would want me to be here, to be playing, to try to just continue to make the Barrett legacy grow."

Barrett missed the Raptors' past eight games, last playing against the Denver Nuggets on March 11. Toronto's next game is a home tilt with the Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday.

The New York Knicks selected Barrett with the No. 3 pick in the 2019 draft, and he spent parts of his first five NBA seasons in the Big Apple.

In 297 regular-season games with the Knicks, Barrett averaged 18.1 points, 5.3 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game.

The Knicks traded Barrett, Immanuel Quickley and a 2024 second-round pick to the Raptors in exchange for OG Anunoby, Precious Achiuwa and Malachi Flynn in December.

Since arriving back in his hometown of Toronto, Barrett has put up the best numbers of his career, averaging 20.8 points, 6.2 rebounds and 4.0 assists in 27 games for the Raptors.

It has been a tough season for the Raptors, who are 12th in the Eastern Conference with a 23-50 record and have lost 12 games in a row. That includes eight consecutive losses without Barrett in the lineup.

While the Raptors are merely playing for pride for the remainder of the season, they are potentially set up for success in the future with Barrett and Scottie Barnes as core pieces.

Barrett and the Raptors will look to close out the season on a positive note, starting with Sunday's game against Philadelphia.