Toronto Raptors forward RJ Barrett could make his return to the lineup for Sunday's game against the Philadelphia 76ers.
The Raptors upgraded Barrett as questionable for the game with the 23-year-old being sidelined since March 11 following the death of his younger brother.
Barrett has missed eight games and spoke to reporters for the first time after practice Friday.
"I’ve had some people in my life pass, but I think this one hit a little harder for me," Barrett said before pausing. "This one is definitely a little different, so it’s a lot tougher.
"I just think that you’ve got to push forward every day, you’ve got to be able to try to figure it out because also if I know my brother, he would want me to be here, to be playing, to try to just continue to make the Barrett legacy grow."
The Mississauga, Ont., native joined his hometown team on Dec. 30, 2023, in a trade with the New York Knicks.
Ochai Agbaji will sit out Sunday's game after he suffered a right hip contusion in Wednesday's matchup against the New York Knicks. Additionally, the Raptors will still be without Immanuel Quickley, Scottie Barnes, Chris Boucher, D.J. Carton and Jontay Porter.
Meanwhile, Mouhamadou Gueye is also questionable for Sunday due to illness.
Toronto sits fourth last in the Eastern Conference with a 23-50 record while the 76ers are 39-35 in their first season under former Raptors coach Nick Nurse.
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