Scottie Barnes is looking forward to his on-court dynamic with Kawhi Leonard as the Toronto Raptors gear up for the 2026-27 NBA season.

Barnes has been playing in the NBA since 202#, going through his # season with the Raptors. He made his way up the ranks to become one of the best players in the league, leading Toronto back to the playoffs last season.

The star forward will get significant help in the frontcourt. Toronto landed Leonard from the Los Angeles Clippers this summer, getting the veteran superstar in exchange for Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick and picks.

Barnes spoke with media on Monday as the preseason is underway, per reporter Omer Osman. He talked about his confidence in his pairing with Leonard, believing that Toronto has the talent to make noise in the Eastern Conference.

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“Man, I got us, man. Me and Kawhi, I got us, rather than those other guys. I’m really focused over here. Don’t really care about that. It’s going to be really good competition for sure. I feel like that’s what I’m really excited about. The Eastern Conference is stacked this year. There’s no running away from that. You just got to bring it every single night,” Barnes said.