Raptors exercise team options on Scottie Barnes, Precious Achiuwa, and Malachi Flynn

With a whole slew of Toronto Raptors players up for extensions, new deals, and options in the next year, we can now breathe a little easier as the front office starts making decisions.

The Raptors announced on Wednesday that they have exercised Team Options on three players — Scottie Barnes, Precious Achiuwa, and Malachi Flynn.

Team Options are used by NBA teams to give them more flexibility around which players they decide to keep, or let become free agents. If a player signs a three-year contact with a fourth year “team option,” it means they have a guaranteed deal for the first three years, but then the team decides if they’d like to keep the player in the fourth year.

On the flip side, there are also “player options,” in which a player has the power to decide whether or not they’d like to take the extra year, or shop around for a better deal. More on that another time.

Exercising Scottie Barnes’ option was a no brainer. Fourth pick overall, Rookie of the Year, absolutely no ceiling in terms of potential. They were going to do it, it was just a matter of when they were allowed to. Only in the second year of his now three year contract with the Raptors, we still have this season to relax before talks of Barnes’ free-agency decisions come up.

Precious Achiuwa was drafted 20th overall in 2020 by the Miami Heat, where he played his rookie season before being traded to the Raptors as part of the Kyle Lowry deal. Now in his third NBA season, the Raptors exercised his team option for next year, his fourth year. He was named to the Rising Stars team at the 2022 NBA All-Star Weekend.

Achiuwa averaged 9.1 points and 6.5 rebounds last year, a drastic improvement from his rookie year in Miami. He started in 28 games for Toronto last season.

The team also exercised their option on Malachi Flynn, who was drafted 27th overall in the 2020 NBA draft. He has had a rocky start to his career with the Raptors, through all of the moves, pandemic restrictions, and team changes, but continues to improve. He averaged 4.3 points and 1.6 assists last season, starting in five games.

The three of Barnes, Achiuwa and Flynn are now signed to the team through the 2023-2024 NBA season.

Stay tuned as the team continues to make decisions on more players up for free agency, options, and more after this season is over.