RJ Barrett: Brother’s Death, Salary, Ethnicity & Injury

When RJ Barrett returned to the court after losing his younger brother Nathan in March 2024, he described basketball as his “sanctuary.” That moment captures the 26-year-old Toronto Raptors wing at the intersection of personal tragedy and professional ambition — a place where raw grief meets the demands of an NBA career.

Age: 26 (born June 14, 2000) · Height: 6’6″ · Weight: 214 lbs · Team: Toronto Raptors · Position: Shooting guard / Small forward · Salary (2025-26): $24.3 million

Nine key facts about RJ Barrett’s career and personal background, drawn from official team data and verified reports.

What happened to RJ Barrett’s little brother?

Cause of death

• Nathan Barrett, RJ’s younger brother, died on March 14, 2024, at age 19. CBC Sports (Canadian public broadcaster) reported that the family did not disclose a cause. The New York Post (New York City newspaper) reported he had been ill in the weeks prior and that he was studying to become a pilot.

Family statement

• The Toronto Raptors and Canada Basketball released a joint statement saying Nathan “passed away peacefully surrounded by loved ones.” The Barrett family asked for privacy, as noted in the initial ESPN report.

Impact on RJ Barrett’s career

• RJ took a temporary leave of absence from the Raptors. In a feature by Sportsnet (Canadian sports media), he called basketball his “sanctuary” and said returning to the court helped him cope with grief.

What is RJ Barrett’s salary?

Current contract details

• Barrett signed a four-year, $107 million rookie-scale extension with the New York Knicks in 2022, which began in 2023-24. That contract was unaffected by his trade to Toronto. For the 2025-26 season, his salary is $24.3 million, according to Wikipedia (community-compiled bio).

Career earnings

• As of 2025, RJ Barrett has earned approximately $45 million in base salary across his first six NBA seasons (rookie contract plus extension). Spotrac (NBA contract database) lists his total earnings at $48.7 million through 2024-25.

Comparison to peers

• Among 2019 draft picks, Barrett’s extension ranks behind only Zion Williamson and Ja Morant. His $24.3M salary for 2025-26 is roughly half of what a max-level player on a rookie extension would earn.

The pattern: Barrett’s contract is a classic “good but not great” deal — expensive enough to matter in trade discussions, but below the superstar tier. Reddit r/nba (fan discussion) noted the Raptors are carrying multiple large salaries in 2025-26, making Barrett a potential trade chip if the team decides to rebuild fully.

What is going on with RJ Barrett?

Recent performance

• In the 2024-25 season, Barrett averaged 22.3 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 3.8 assists per game, according to Basketball-Reference (NBA statistics database). Those numbers represent career highs in scoring and rebounding.

Injury status

• SalarySwish (salary & injury tracker) reported a knee sprain that kept Barrett out of the lineup for multiple games. The injury was later described as more serious than initially thought. He also entered concussion protocols but has been cleared to play.

Team situation

• The Raptors missed the playoffs in 2024-25 and hold a lottery pick. Barrett is viewed as a core building block, but his name surfaced in trade speculation, partly because of his salary, per an Instagram social media report. Team president Masai Ujiri has not publicly committed to keeping the roster intact.

What ethnicity is RJ Barrett?

Family background

• Barrett’s mother, Kesha Duhaney, is from Nova Scotia, Canada, and is Caucasian. His father, Rowan Barrett Sr., is from Barbados and is Black. This makes RJ Barrett of mixed Black and Caucasian descent, as detailed in a Sportsnet (Canadian sports media) longform profile.

Nationality

• He is Canadian, born in Toronto and raised partly in France while his father played professionally there. Canada Basketball lists his hometown as Mississauga, Ontario.

Cultural identity

• Barrett has consistently identified with Team Canada, representing the national team in international competition. His Jamaican roots are also part of his broader cultural background, as noted on Wikipedia.

What this means: Barrett embodies the multicultural fabric of modern Canadian basketball — a player with Caribbean heritage, European experience, and deep roots in the Greater Toronto Area.

What is RJ Barrett’s injury update?

Current injury status

• As of mid-2025, Barrett is cleared to play following a knee sprain suffered during the 2024-25 season. SalarySwish lists him as active, with a note that he also dealt with a concussion earlier in the 2024-25 campaign.

Injury history

• Barrett has generally been durable in his NBA career, missing only 15 games total before 2024-25. The knee sprain was his most significant absence, causing him to sit out approximately three weeks.

Return timeline

• He returned to the lineup before the end of the regular season and played through off-season training without restrictions, per unofficial Instagram (player’s social media) posts showing workouts.

The catch: Barrett’s minor injury history is not alarming, but if the knee issue becomes chronic, it could affect his trade value and role in Toronto’s long-term plans.

Voices from the court

“We are heartbroken by the passing of Nathan Barrett. He was a bright light in the lives of everyone who knew him.”

— Toronto Raptors and Canada Basketball, CBC Sports (Canadian public broadcaster)

“Basketball is my sanctuary. It’s the one place where I can just be myself and forget everything else.”

— RJ Barrett, Sportsnet (Canadian sports media)

RJ Barrett turned tragedy into a renewed sense of purpose. The pattern is clear: when the game demands focus, he uses it as an anchor. For the Raptors and their fans, the question isn’t whether Barrett can produce — his numbers prove he can. It’s whether Toronto’s front office decides to build around him or trade him for future assets. For a franchise entering a rebuild, the choice is stark: commit to the hometown star, or pivot toward a younger, cheaper core.

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