RJ Barrett arrived back in the New York area with the Raptors on Friday evening, but he was unable to hook up with any of his former teammates on the Knicks on his first night back in town.
“Nah, man, I went home and tried to get some [of my] stuff,” Barrett joked Saturday morning.
Barrett, who lived near the team’s Tarrytown training facility, and Immanuel Quickley were traded in the middle of a Knicks road trip late last month — waking up in their hotel rooms Dec. 30 in Indianapolis to the news they’d been dealt to the Raptors in the swap that landed the Knicks two-way wing OG Anunoby.
Barrett, a Toronto native, then played six of his first seven games with the Raptors away from Scotiabank Arena before heading back to Canada for the three games ahead of Saturday’s return to the Garden to face the Knicks for the first time in his career.
Visiting teams usually hold their morning shootarounds at MSG, but with St. John’s facing Marquette in the afternoon, the Raptors practiced at the NBA Players Association’s headquarters in Midtown.
“I’m not there yet, so I don’t know [what to expect]. I’m just gonna try to go in there, have fun, play hard and try to get a win,” Barrett said before his new team’s 126-100 loss to the Knicks, despite his team-high 20 points. “I’m on the Raptors now, so it’s all about going in there and trying to get a win.”
The 23-year-old former lottery pick added it was “definitely weird right now” to be back in New York as a visiting player, and Barrett reiterated “it’d be nice” to receive some love from his former home fans.
“I’m trying to focus on the game as much as I can. I’ve already said it, I loved the fans, the New York fans, from Day 1, and I still do,” Barrett said. “So whatever happens [Saturday night] at the Garden, I appreciate them regardless.
“I think the one thing [I appreciated most here] was the fans. Sold out every night, it’s like a show at the Garden, with all the lights and everything that goes on. So I was always appreciative of that, I always loved playing in the Garden. But [Saturday] I’ll be a visitor, and I’m excited to see what that’s like.”
While the Knicks won eight of their first 10 games with Anunoby in their lineup, Barrett scored 20.2 points per game in his first 10 appearances with the Raptors — a two-point increase over the 18.2 per game he’d posted in 26 games this season with the Knicks.
He added one of his favorite memories during that tenure was the Garden fans chanting his name during the playoffs last spring.
“Oh, it’s crazy, holy …” Barrett said, dragging out that last word for effect. “It’s the loudest thing ever. and It fuels you and motivates you.”
Quickley, who finished second in the voting for last season’s Sixth Man of the Year award, has been starting since the trade and came in averaging 18.0 points and 5.2 assists with the Raptors.
He had written a lengthy post earlier this month on The Players’ Tribune, thanking the Knicks fans and the organization for his time in New York.
Asked if he plans to do something similar on social media, Barrett responded, “Absolutely, but I’ll post it [Sunday]. I’ve been waiting for this game.”
Quickley, who scored 12 points and grabbed 11 assists in the Raptors’ loss, added that he normally doesn’t get emotional, but he allowed that Saturday’s return visit to the Garden might change that.
“I don’t cry during movies, so I’d probably say not that much, but this one will be — I’ma try not to cry,” he said.
