"Scottie Barnes, are you kidding me?": Agent Bill Duffy expounds on Raptors star's magnetic personality after $269 million extension (Exclusive)
Not only did the Toronto Raptors signal they would become a rebuilding team, but by not retaining key players either through free agency (Fred VanVleet) or trade (OG Anunoby, Pascal Siakam), the Raptors also signaled their intent to further invest in Scottie Barnes.
In related news, the Raptors’ fourth-year forward agreed to a five-year rookie max extension that could be worth up to $270 million. Barnes made his first NBA All-Star appearance and led the Raptors in total points, rebounds, assists, and blocks despite missing the final 22 games with a broken left hand.
Barnes’ agent, Bill Duffy of WME, spoke to Sportskeeda about Barnes’ new deal, his trajectory, and his outlook on his future.
Editor’s note: The following one-on-one conversation has been edited and condensed.
It’s not surprising that Scottie received a max rookie extension. But from your lane, when did you feel like you got clarity from the Raptors that this would be in the cards?
Duffy: “I think it was more about the moves that were made when OG and Siakam were traded. VanVleet was not re-signed. It was a signal that they really believed in Scottie. It reinforces their belief in his talent, leadership and maturity. It all was lined up. To me, the writing was on the wall that he would be the focal point moving forward. The interesting thing is that no one is in opposition to that with his teammates. They recognize his talent, personality and leadership dynamics. All of the other guys are on board. There is no jealousy at all. He’s one of the most selfless star players that I’ve ever been around.”
How so?
Duffy: “It’s just human nature. He’s one of the nicest people. He’s a killer, first of all, on the court and with his work ethic. But he has the sweetest soul. He’s a really engaging and nice human being. Everybody loves him. He has an infectious personality. He’s friendly, and he’s loving. He’s an amazing human being. It is a joy to be around him every second that you’re in his presence.”
What examples jump out to you where he showed that character?
Duffy: “One time I was on a flight to Toronto. I took a phone call when I was getting on the flight. When I was sitting down in first class, everybody asked, ‘What do you do?’ I told them that I do this and that. They asked me, ‘Do you work with the Raptors?’ I told them yeah. I asked them, ‘Who is your favorite Raptor?’ All three of them looked at me like it was an insane question. Then they said, ‘Scottie Barnes! Scottie Barnes! Are you kidding me?’” It’s his personality. If you met him, there are very few people, not just basketball players, that have that very infectious and positive nature about him.”
From the Raptors' feedback and from what have you seen, what has gone into Scottie’s improvement in his shooting, playmaking and intangibles?
Duffy: “He’s gifted with tremendous versatility. Scottie has developed that with his perimeter shooting. That’s improving. But once he masters that, I don’t know if there is a more diverse player with his defense, ball handling, getting to the basket, passing and blocking shots. He really can do it all. As he masters each area, he’s going to be a dynamic force for a long time. And he’s 22 years old” (laughs)
Where does he go from here next season both with his development as well as the opportunity and challenge with a bigger role?
Duffy: “He’ll embrace that. He’s tuned in now. He’s got it figured out. He’s embracing the role. Masai [Ujiri], Bobby Webster and Darko [Rajaković] are empowering him. So it’s a really good time now. It’s up to them to build a team around him.”
Beyond the contract, in what ways have they empowered him and made this a good place for him to develop?
Duffy: “Masai said when they interviewed him before they drafted him, Scottie said something about ‘winning’ like 35 times. They registered how many times he said ‘winning.’ He really doesn’t care about anything other than winning. He’s maniacal about winning. That’s something that you want. You don’t want someone that’s looking for stats or looking for adulation. You want someone that just wants to win. That is, first and foremost, No. 1 for him. Everything else comes after that. That’s rare. In today’s culture, everyone is looking at stats and analytics. He doesn’t measure himself by that. It’s definitely an outlier.”
Scottie injured his hand in March. From then until now, how did you see him manage the recovery?
Duffy: “He took care of it. He did the procedure right away. He probably could’ve finished the season at the end, but we didn’t want to risk further injury. So in the last week or so, he sat back and watched the team. If you watched the games, he was the biggest cheerleader in the huddle and was encouraging his teammates. That gave him another opportunity to showcase his desire to be a leader.”
How did you also see him handle the recovery and any frustrations he had with sitting out?
Duffy: “He was unhappy. He wanted to play. He wanted to compete. But it just made him take a step back and look at things from a different lens. From the coach’s perspective, they were talking to him more about what they were trying to do. So I think there was an education. Sometimes when you get hurt, you can sit back and look at things differently. You take the time to really analyze preparation, your teammates and interaction with each other and their receptiveness to coaching and stuff like that. They really took time to contemplate that part of it. There’s a high level of trust that they have in him. They expressed that to him directly.”
Scottie has a recent connection with the Raptors most recent draft pick with Jonathan Mogbo. I read Scottie got pretty emotional when he heard the news. What’s your sense on what this will do for him?
Duffy: “That’s one of his best friends. This means the world to him. There’s so much familiarity. They have known each other since they were little kids. It’s about having someone around that is doing well. Anyone would want their childhood friend to have success. When you can be together and extend your friendship, what can be better?”
What realistic goals do you think are in store for Scottie next season?
Duffy: “I think he’s going to be an All-NBA player. Over time, I think he’ll be in consideration for Defensive Player of the Year. I think he’s going to be one of the top players and one of the faces of the league as Darko conveyed last year.”
And in very animated terms! How did that hit Scottie that he went to bat for him like that?
Duffy: “Darko was impassioned. Scottie buys into people. When you’re really with him, he buys into you. So it’s good when you reciprocate that. I always tell him how great he’s going to be. He just smiles when I tell him that. He likes to hear it. He feels it because he has that self-belief. But when you tell him, it’s positive reinforcement. I’m sure there are some hockey players that might disagree. But he’s without question one of the most popular athletes in all of Canada.”
Mark Medina is an NBA insider for Sportskeeda. Follow him on X, Instagram, Facebook and Threads.