At Toronto Raptors media day, discussions centered around RJ Barrett’s uncertain contract status and potential extension. Barrett, entering his final year with the team after a $107 million deal, expressed focus on performance despite unresolved negotiations. Additionally, Jakob Poeltl discussed improvements in his back health following last season's injury setbacks that limited him to 36 games. Coach Darko Rajakovic emphasized defensive strategy and physical conditioning as key areas for improvement heading into the new season.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-09-28,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
On September 25, 2026, the Toronto Raptors held their media day ahead of the upcoming NBA season. Among key players attending were Scottie Barnes, Immanuel Quickley, RJ Barrett, Kawhi Leonard, and Jakob Poeltl. Leonard, who was recently traded from the Los Angeles Clippers, spoke publicly for the first time since the trade. Meanwhile, Barrett, a free agent after this season due to lack of contract extension talks, emphasized his focus on training and helping the team. The Raptors are set to begin their training camp in Quebec City later that week, culminating with a preseason game against the Miami Heat on September 30.
Written for “Raptors Media Day Interviews” on 2026-10-05,
grounded in this article and the 2 other(s) covering the same event.
All eyes were on Kawhi Leonard at Raptors media day, but other topics came up that will play a big part to how the season develops.
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season → come → part
Here’s what else we learned Monday:
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we → ’ → what
RJ Barrett extension looms
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extension → loom → ?
RJ Barrett knew the question was going to come.
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question → know → ?
He chose his words carefully after a long pause when asked how he felt about not reaching an agreement for a contract extension with the Raptors this summer.
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he → choose → Raptors
“I don’t control any of that stuff,” Barrett said.
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Barrett → control → stuff
“I just control my effort … and how I train.
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I → control → effort
I come in and try to help the team, so I’m just going to continue to control the things I can control.”
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I → come → things
Barrett is in the final year of his four-year, $107 million contract and will be a free agent next summer if the Raptors don’t sign him to a contract extension.
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Raptors → sign → extension
The Mississauga native has repeatedly expressed his love for playing in his hometown, but nothing has been resolved.
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nothing → express → hometown
Barrett sat out of Canada Basketball’s FIBA qualification windows this summer amid the uncertainty.
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Barrett → sit → uncertainty
His name has been in numerous trade rumours since being acquired by the team in a deal that sent OG Anunoby to the New York Knicks in 2023.
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that → acquire → 2023
Raptors general manager Bobby Webster said last week the team’s signing of Leonard to a contract extension won’t influence their decision on Barrett’s deal.
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signing → say → deal
Great (defensive) expectations
The Raptors were a top five defensive unit in the NBA last season, and the goal is to match — or exceed — that this year.
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goal → match → that
Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic expects the team to be more switchable on defence and praised the off-season development of several players on that end of the floor.
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team → expect → floor
“It’s not one player that’s gonna change a lot, but it’s a contribution of all the guys together,” Rajakovic said.
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Rajakovic → ’ → guys
Raptors star forward Scottie Barnes said the team’s familiarity and understanding of each other’s tendencies gives them an edge.
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familiarity → say → edge
Just with our personnel, we got guys that move their feet really well,” Barnes said.
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Barnes → got → feet
“ … I think it’s gonna be really scary.”
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it → think → ?
Jakob Poeltl’s health
A nagging back injury left Raptors centre Jakob Poeltl looking like a shadow of himself for much of last season.
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injury → nag → season
This summer he made getting healthy a priority.
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getting → make → ?
I’ve modified my strength and conditioning training quite a bit, a lot of mobility there as well.
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I → modify → mobility
Try to get ahead of it,” Poeltl said.
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Poeltl → try → it
Poeltl missed 36 games last season — the most he’s missed in a single-season in his 10 seasons in the NBA — and averaged seven rebounds, his lowest since the 2019-20 season with the San Antonio Spurs.
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he → miss → Spurs
After a gruelling seven-game first-round playoff series loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers, conditioning became a priority across the organization.
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conditioning → become → organization
Rajakovic said understanding how demanding the NBA playoffs can be was a major discussion point.
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playoffs → say → ?
They also pushed forward Collin Murray-Boyles to get in better shape.
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They → push → shape
“Apart from every workout, he was going outside and running 30 minutes every single day, so he put a tremendous amount of work this summer,” Rajakovic said.
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Rajakovic → go → work
Teammate Jamal Shead captured Murray-Boyles running along Lake Shore Boulevard just days before training camp.
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Boyles → capture → camp
According to Rajakovic, Raptors guard Ja’Kobe Walter also added 10 pounds of muscle.
uncertain
Walter → accord → muscle
“He skipped leg days, but he did not skip any arm days this summer,” Rajakovic joked.
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Rajakovic → skip → days
I had no idea #Raptors Collin Murray-Boyles was a runner! 🤝
— Marley Dickinson (@marleydickinson) September 26, 2026
Jamal Shead posted a video of him out for run on Toronto’s MGT. pic.twitter.com/jGj2ysWLt3
Behind Scottie Barnes’s viral TV moment
Barnes went viral last week after video bombing a CTV reporter’s live hit outside the team’s practice facility at OVO Athletics Centre following Bobby Webster’s news conference to talk about the acquisition of Leonard.
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Barnes → have → Leonard
CTV’s Sean Leathong asked him about it to confirm to his friends and family that it wasn’t staged.
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it → ask → friends
“I was actually about to go somewhere, and I was bored, to be honest.
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I → go → ?
I was just bored,” Barnes said.
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Barnes → bore → ?
“I think we had a great interaction.
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we → think → interaction
I think it went pretty well.”
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it → think → ?
Barnes had been asked to participate in the segment before Leathong went live, but turned him down to watch from the background.
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Leathong → ask → background
The Aporia
