The New York Knicks may get much more familiar with RJ Barrett moving forward. According to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, the Toronto Raptors are interested in a potential trade for Jaylen Brown, and if Barrett ends up going back to the Boston Celtics, he would be much more central in the Knicks’ line of fire.
The Raptors are going to be a solid playoff team with or without Brown. And if they did get Brown, they could be more than that. But the same can be said about the Celtics. They’ll still have Jayson Tatum. And the Boston-New York rivalry cannot be understated. It goes beyond basketball. It’s an all-sports thing.
So, if Barrett did end up in Boston, it would only place the former Knick in the sights of his old team even more.
Seeing RJ Barrett in a Celtics jersey would add fuel to the fire
Nobody can touch the Knicks right now. They just won the 2026 NBA Championship on the back of some incredible play from Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, and everyone else on the roster.
And the best part is, they’ll be back next year. Outside of likely losing Mitchell Robinson and maybe even Landry Shamet, the Knicks should be bringing back the rest of their roster.
So, no matter what happens with the rest of the Eastern Conference, they should be one of the top contenders. But Barrett going to Boston would give Knicks fans a former player to start a grudge with.
It’s no secret that New York hates Boston. It’s just a way of life. Even though the Knicks have had the Celtics’ number for the past couple of years, there’s still a hatred there.
Whenever the Celtics and Knicks play each other, both fanbases – and teams – just want it a little bit more. So, what if Barrett was on the other side? Well, he could have the chance to turn into a new Knicks villain.
Brown would go to Toronto to team up with Scottie Barnes and the rest of the guys there, and Barrett (and other pieces) would head to Boston to play alongside Tatum, Derrick White, and Payton Pritchard.
Seeing Barrett put on a green jersey would feel wrong. He’s been out of New York for a couple of years now, but he was drafted there. He was a big part of the Knicks for a while.
If he were traded for Brown, Knicks fans would have a new, reinvigorated reason to hate him. And if he ever played well against the Knicks in a Celtics jersey… watch out.
Add us as a preferred source on Google