'Salty' RJ Barrett Reacts to Knicks Winning NBA Title After Trade to Raptors in OG Anunoby Deal

RJ Barrett started his NBA career with the New York Knicks after they selected him with the No. 3 overall pick of the 2019 draft, and he was "happy" they won the championship even if he was feeling a little "salty" because his Toronto Raptors lost in the playoffs.

"At first, definitely feel a little salty in terms of we lost, the Raptors lost in the first round, so that hurt," he said during an interview with CBC Sports (4:55 mark) when discussing the team that traded him to Toronto to acquire OG Anunoby. "But if anybody else were to win it, I'm happy they won it. I still have friends over there. I've called and checked on the guys, said congrats.

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"One of the guys from the team is actually on the Raptors now, so things are cool. The mayor gave myself a quick a shout-out, so we'll always have ties there. I'm very happy for them, but hoping to bring some of that success over here."

That one player who was on the Knicks last year and joined Toronto was Trey Jemison lll, who signed a two-way contract with the Raptors this offseason.

As for Barrett, he played well during his tenure with the Knicks, averaging 18.1 points, 5.3 rebounds and 2.8 assists a night over the course of 297 games from 2019-20 until they traded him during the 2023-24 campaign.

However, New York never made it past the second round of the playoffs during his tenure and moved him as part of a roster overhaul that also included adding Karl-Anthony Towns to the frontcourt.

The Barrett trade ended up being particularly important in the Knicks' championship run, as they landed Anunoby from the Raptors as part of the deal. Anunoby was arguably the team's top defender throughout the regular season and playoffs and then played the role of hero in Game 4 of the NBA Finals against the San Antonio Spurs with the winning tip-in at the end.

New York's championship came after Barrett's Raptors lost in the first round to the Cleveland Cavaliers in seven games. It was a step in the right direction for Toronto after missing the playoffs the previous three seasons, and it could be a threat in the Eastern Conference during the 2026-27 campaign with the addition of Kawhi Leonard.

Perhaps the Raptors will even face the Knicks in a playoff series, which would provide another motivating factor for Barrett.