Raptors won't even discuss Scottie Barnes as part of Durant trade offer

The Celtics might argue Brooklyn is not in a strong negotiating position. What’s the best offer right now? The Toronto Raptors don’t want to even discuss Scottie Barnes, sources say. Have Toronto and Brooklyn even had a detailed conversation? Do we know for sure Phoenix has offered or will offer the best it can do for now: Mikal Bridges, Cameron Johnson, four unprotected first-round picks and three swaps? Does Brooklyn have any interest in Miami Heat packages that don’t include Bam Adebayo?
Source: Zach Lowe @ ESPN

What’s the buzz on Twitter?

Aaron Rose @AaronBenRose
Scottie Barnes has put on 10 pounds of muscle this summer and looks “exponentially better,” his trainer Brian Macon tells me. An exclusive look at what the Raptors star has been up to lately with all the Barnes hype you could possibly want 👇
si.com/nba/raptors/ne… – 1:37 PM Justin Kubatko @jkubatko
📅 On this day in 2021, the NBA Draft was held in Brooklyn, N.Y. The top four picks:
1. Cade Cunningham, DET
2. Jalen Green, HOU
3. Evan Mobley, CLE
4. Scottie Barnes, TOR
The top four picks made up the top four in the ROY voting, the only time that’s occurred since the merger. pic.twitter.com/STfSpLjLBK – 11:31 AM

More on this storyline

Brian Macon could barely hold in the “I told you so” he’d been waiting a year to deliver me. It was a year ago today that the Toronto Raptors shocked the basketball world by selecting Scottie Barnes with the No. 4 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft. Back then, there were questions about Barnes, specifically on the offensive end. Sure, his defense would be a valuable NBA skill, but in a league so enthralled with shooting, could Barnes contribute? To Macon, Barnes’ personal trainer and childhood mentor, the questions were nonsense. Yes, Barnes would be able to contribute. Yes, Barnes was going to be special. And, yes, Barnes would be in the Rookie of the Year conversation. He was right. -via Sports Illustrated / July 29, 2022 What have you and Scottie Barnes been up to this summer? Macon: We’ve just been refining his game, getting him better offensively in the half-court as far as giving him go-to moves to get to. Our main goal is just to get him to be a lot more efficient in the half-court and, of course, working on his jump shot. He’s been progressing well. I think the first month after the season he made a big leap, like, he jumped right into it right after the season. So he made a big jump there. -via Sports Illustrated / July 29, 2022 What did he want to work on? I sent him film on just his different touches as far as in transition, his ISOs, his ball screens, and all that. And he sent me a list of things that he wanted to work on, and it was along the same amount as what I was thinking already. So he’s very aware of what he needs to work on. He’s very aware of his game and he’s very mature in that aspect. … But it was an easy conversation, which, I mean, every conversation with Scottie is pretty easy. -via Sports Illustrated / July 29, 2022