When the New York Knicks selected RJ Barrett with the third pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, the belief was that they had added a foundational cornerstone talent who could one day become the club's de facto, go-to option.
Four years after his arrival, however, the wing found his stock drop from a hopeful number one to, at best, a number three behind the likes of Jalen Brunson and Julius Randle.
Whether it was due to poor fit from a skill-set standpoint or the toughness of mentally accepting such a demotion, the experiment with this trio never seemed to pan out, and by the time his fifth season in the Big Apple was starting to take off, Barrett found himself being shipped off to Toronto for a fresh start.
In an ironic turn of events, now in his second full season with the Raptors, the 25-year-old once again finds himself in a tertiary role on the team, with the likes of Scottie Barnes and Brandon Ingram serving as the club's number one and two options, respectively.
However, this time around, it seems Barrett has found a way to make the most of his situation.
Former Knicks wing RJ Barrett finally accepting third-option role
Nearly halfway through their 2025-26 campaign, the Raptors find themselves playing some of their best brand of basketball in years, as they sport a 22-15 record and reside just one spot behind the Knicks in the Eastern Conference Standings in the fourth seed.
Though the established stars in Barnes and Ingram are the ones who have received the most credit for their impressive level of production, Barrett has, without question, played a major role alongside them.
Logging 30.2 minutes a night, the former lottery pick is producing to the tune of 19.2 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 3.6 assists while shooting 50.2 percent from the floor and 35.7 percent from distance.
He also ranks first on the team in offensive rating (117.2), net rating (5.1), and plus-minus at (+2.9) among those who have logged over 200 minutes played so far this year.
To Zach Lowe, Barrett has turned himself into a "glue guy" for Toronto, and, based on both the eye test and advanced metrics, it appears to be working wonders for both parties.
Now several seasons removed from his parting of ways, there should be zero second-guessing from the Knicks when it comes to their decision to move on from Barrett.
After all, they're the reigning Eastern Conference runner-ups, boast the third-best odds of winning the NBA Championship this year, and, as a result of the trade, roster one of the best two-way players in the entire league in OG Anunoby.
However, in a way, it's a bit bittersweet to see the forward finally morph into the kind of player Leon Rose and company believe he could have been for them while playing for another team.