The Toronto Raptors had some positive news Tuesday.
RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley both participated in practice, after missing some time for personal reasons.
However, both players have been ruled out against the New York Knicks tonight, per The Athletic’s Eric Koreen:
Both players were seen on the bench when the Raptors took on the Brooklyn Nets on March 25.
Barrett has been away from the Raptors since March 11 because of the death of his younger brother Nathan. It is great to see Barrett back with the team following the devastating news he and his family recieved.
Quickley last played in a loss to the Orlando Magic on March 17. He has been away due to unspecified personal reasons.
Barrett and Quickley will not get to play against their former team the New York Knicks who come to town. Another player who was involved in that trade, former Raptor O.G. Anunoby, has also been ruled out.
The Raptors are on a season-high 11-game losing streak. But if Quickley and Barrett return to action soon, that streak could end.
Toronto does have a fairly tough schedule ahead as 8 of their 10 remaining opponents have a winning record. However, the Raptors still have one more matchup against the Nets and the lowly Wizards.
Wins will not serve the Raptors much benefit at this point of the season. Toronto currently has the sixth-worst record in the league and if they finish with that bottom-six record, they would have a 45.8 percent chance of keeping their 2024 first-round, which should be their biggest priority right now.
Raptors take Mata Buzelis at No. 6 in latest 2024 NBA mock draft
As the Raptors look ahead to the 2024 NBA Draft, there have been many mock drafts that have come out speculating who Toronto could take.
ESPN recently dropped their latest mock draft and they have the Raptors taking Mata Buzelis 6th overall.
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