Raptors' Scottie Barnes Won't Return vs. Heat After Suffering Ankle Injury

Toronto Raptors forward Scottie Barnes suffered a right ankle sprain in Saturday's game against the Miami Heat and was ruled out for the remainder of the contest, the team announced, per Doug Smith of the Toronto Star.

The Raptors selected Barnes with the fourth overall pick in the 2021 NBA draft. He won Rookie of the Year honors after putting up 15.3 points, 7.5 boards and 3.5 assists per game across 74 appearances during his debut campaign.

He entered Saturday's game averaging 16 points, five rebounds and five assists through Toronto first two games of the season. He's made 50 percent of his shots from the floor and 66.7 percent of his shots from deep.

Barnes dealt with a minor ankle injury during his time at Florida State but missed just one contest. He missed a few games with a thumb injury as an NBA rookie.

Precious Achiuwa and Thaddeus Young are among the forwards who figure to receive an uptick in playing time if the 21-year-old is forced to the sideline.

Barnes is a crucial part of the Raptors' reworked roster following the departures of Kawhi Leonard and Kyle Lowry over the past couple of years since their 2019 NBA title run, so his absence will definitely impact the team's playoff chances.