Returning RJ Barrett 'Happy' For Knicks, No Hard Feelings for MSG Visit

RJ Barrett will take to Madison Square Garden's hardwood as an opponent for the first time on Saturday when the Toronto Raptors visit.

RJ Barrett is happy for his ex.

New York Knicks fan Jerry Seinfeld once celebrated the rare accomplishment of a mutual breakup on his famed eponymous sitcom, the subplot featuring numerous nonbelievers in the concept. For the time being, it appears Barrett and the Knicks found one.

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Since the trade that sent Barrett and Immanuel Quickley to Toronto, the Knicks have posted an 8-2 record thanks in part to the efforts of the newly acquired northern import OG Anunoby. The Raptors have sunk further into the cesspool just beyond the Eastern Conference playoff picture and have since traded another piece of their 2019 championship puzzle (Pascal Siakam) but Barrett is at peace to the tune of averaging 20.2 points on just under 55 percent from the field while pulling in 6.9 rebounds in his first 10 Truth North appearances.

“It’s a win-win situation," Knicks point guard Jalen Brunson said after scoring 41 in Thursday's win over Washington, per Peter Botte of the New York Post. "Those guys are playing at a high level, and we’ve obviously been playing well of late. Being teammates with those guys for less than two years … those guys meant a lot to me."

Granted the starring role he was never fully obtained in Manhattan by default thanks to joining his hometown team in the midst of a drastic rebuild, Barrett has found a professional footing of sorts in Toronto, which will visit Madison Square Garden on Saturday night for an Atlantic Division clash (7:30 p.m. ET, MSG).

Observers unanimously miss Quickley, one of the most prolific reserve scorers in franchise history, but Barrett has left a bit of a complicated legacy behind. 

The third overall pick of the 2019 draft, Barrett was decent enough but hardly worthy of his lofty draft status, chosen as a consolation prize when the preceding lottery bounced both Zion Williams and Ja Morant out of the Knicks' grasp.

In another report from The Post, this from Stefan Bondy, Barrett doesn't expect the famous MSG videoboard to offer him a tribute but nonetheless remains grateful to the Knicks ... albeit for universally desirable reasons.

"I got a payday," Barrett said when asked about his greatest metropolitan takeaway, referring to the four-year, $107 million rookie contract that kicked in this year. "That’s what I was thinking. I was happy.”

But even with Barrett's departure celebrated by some ... including Carmelo Anthony ... it'd be foolish for either side to deny some of the good times he provided. 

Asked about his favorite metropolitan memories, Barrett listed a game-winning, buzzer-beating triple against the Boston Celtics in January 2022 as well as his postseason dunk over Atlanta's Bogdan Bogdanovic among his most cherished moments. 

But Barrett's finest Garden party occurred not on the hardwood but rather the tunnel leading to it, as he recalled first taking the floor for the Knicks 2021 playoff opener against the aforementioned Hawks. It was one of New York's first games with a packed Garden in the aftermath of pandemic restrictions.

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“My favorite moment was when we ran out of the tunnel the first playoffs after having no fans all year, and then hearing the sold-out crowd,” Barrett called in Bondy's report. “That was insane. That was my favorite moment."

That crowd will likely be roaring on Saturday, but they probably won't be cheering in Barrett's favor this time around. 

A weekend crowd will instead be calling for blood, eager to take care of business against a reeling familiar opponent just counting the days until it can officially begin offseason planning. Barrett will welcome any and all barbs, knowing it's part of the Manhattan experience he deeply cherished amidst the equally trying and rewarding time he had with the Knicks. 

“I love the fans. I don’t know what they’re going to do. But I love the fans,” Barrett said., per Bondy. “I appreciate them rooting for me. I appreciate them getting on me. Everything was all love in New York. I really from the bottom of my heart truly enjoyed being there.”

“Everyone gets frustrated a little bit,” he continued. “But for me, I always remembered who I am. I had my parents staying in my ear. My family staying in my ear. And I kept working. I didn’t try to get in any back-and-forths. One thing you got to know about Knicks fans, they want to win. They want to win just as much if not more than the players do. To understand that was huge for me.”