Raptors star RJ Barrett out at least through preseason with sprained AC joint

Toronto Raptors star RJ Barrett will miss at least the rest of the preseason with a sprained right acromioclavicular joint, or AC joint, the team announced Tuesday.

Barrett will miss the Raptors’ final four preseason games and be evaluated again ahead of their season opener. It’s unclear if the injury will carry over into the start of the season, or how much time Barrett will miss as a result.

Barrett went down in the Raptors’ 125-98 win over the Wizards on Sunday while trying to work around a screen set by Washington center Jonas Valančiūnas. The Wizard was called for an offensive foul on the play in the second quarter as Barrett was hit hard in his shoulder and left the game soon after.

Barrett finished the night with a team-high 17 points while shooting 7-of-10 from the field in 14 minutes.

He averaged 21.8 points and 6.4 rebounds in 32 games with the Raptors last season. Toronto acquired him ahead of the deadline in a deal that sent OG Anunoby to the New York Knicks. The Knicks first selected Barrett with the No. 3 overall pick in 2019 out of Duke. He is in the second year of a four-year, $107 million deal.

The Toronto-area native played with Team Canada in the Paris Olympics this past summer, too. The team finished fifth after being knocked out of the quarterfinals by France. Barrett averaged 19.8 points and 3.8 rebounds over four games in Paris.

The Raptors went just 25-57 last season under first-year head coach Darko Rajaković and missed the playoffs for the third time in the last four campaigns. They will open the regular season on Oct. 23 against the Cleveland Cavaliers.