Toronto's odds for Cooper Flagg just got better, but not how they wanted

Scottie Barnes appeared to be in substantial pain after awkwardly crashing into Karl-Anthony Towns in the Toronto Raptors' 113-108 defeat to the New York Knicks. And recent intel from ESPN's Shams Charania aligns with the standout wing's reaction to the incident.

Per Charania, Barnes is "expected to miss several weeks" due to what the Raptorsdeemed a right ankle sprain. This marks a devastating blow for Toronto. They will be without their franchise centerpiece for moving forward, effectively shackling them to the bottom of the standings.

Barnes' extended absence is a brutal development, especially considering he's gotten off to an impressive start to this season following his 2023-24 breakout campaign. But if it's any consolation, Toronto is now firmly entrenched in the tank race for the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. A strong class of prospects headlined by consensus top dog Cooper Flagg, Raptors fans could view this as a sacrifice for the greater good.

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Scottie Barnes' injury update drastically improves Raptors chances of winning the Cooper Flagg sweepstakes

Sitting at 7-18, the Raptors were already in contention for Flagg's services, regardless of Barnes' health. However, with fellow cellar dwellers like the Washington Wizards, Utah Jazz and New Orleans Pelicans headed nowhere quickly, losing an All-Star evens the playing field.

As bad as Toronto has been, they've been much feistier than their lowly counterparts, specifically when Barnes is in the lineup. They're 5-9 with him and 2-9 when he isn't available, meaning the losses could start pouting in for the Raptors.

Barnes' discomfort was visible upon him hitting the ground in the third quarter against the Knicks. The broadcast spotted the one-time All-Star telling the Raptors medical staff that he "can't feel" his foot. He exited the contest and never returned, foreshadowing the severity of the matter.

Before going down, Barnes had been thriving this season, averaging career-highs in points (20.6), rebounds (8.4) and assists (7.4) per game. Suddenly, he will be on the shelve for the foreseeable future.