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Barnes said Monday during his exit interview that he wanted to play at the end of the regular season, but there was still swelling in his surgically-repaired left hand, so the medical staff held him out for precautionary reasons, Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun reports.

Barnes added that he doesn't expect to be limited during the offseason, so he appears firmly on track to lead the Raptors in 2024-25. The 2021 No. 4 overall pick was in the midst of a breakout campaign before breaking his left hand in early March. Across 60 appearances, Barnes averaged 19.9 points, 8.2 rebounds, 6.1 assists, 1.5 blocks, 1.3 steals and 1.7 threes per game -- all career highs. He's eligible for a rookie scale contract extension this fall.

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