"Can be a guy like a Jokic" - Vince Carter sees superstar potential in $224,237,860 youngster, boldly compares him to Nikola Jokic

Amid the Toronto Raptors' uptick in wins, franchise legend Vince Carter delivered a ringing endorsement of star forward Scottie Barnes. The Hall of Famer likened him to Denver Nuggets superstar center Nikola Jokic, citing his multifaceted playstyle.

Toronto has seemingly made a late-season push to boost its NBA draft lottery odds by regularly resting key players. Such was the case during Sunday's road matchup against the Philadelphia 76ers, as point guard Immanuel Quickley and center Jakob Poeltl were held out.

Nevertheless, the undermanned Raptors continue to capitalize on their light closing schedule. They defeated the Sixers 127-109 to secure their fourth consecutive victory, ending March with a 10-5 record.

While Barnes struggled (nine points, five rebounds and four assists, shooting 4-for-12 [33.3%]), his well-rounded production has been key to Toronto's recent success.

According to Vince Carter, the one-time All-Star is on track to make a Jokic-level impact as the Raptors attempt to return to competitiveness next season.

"I truly believe Scottie Barnes can be a guy — hear me out — like a Jokic, where he can stuff the stat sheet, he can get you close to a triple-double," Carter said during Sunday's broadcast. "His numbers almost look like that, to where he's getting 15 to 17 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists. He has that ability to rebound."

While Barnes is arguably one of the league's most versatile players, he still has a ways to go before coming close to the three-time MVP's nightly output.

Through 60 outings, Barnes is averaging 19.3 points, 7.8 rebounds, 5.9 assists, 1.5 steals, 1.0 blocks and 1.2 3-pointers per game, shooting 44.4%.

Conversely, Jokic is putting up 29.3 ppg, 12.8 rpg, 10.2 apg, 1.8 spg, 0.7 bpg and 1.9 3pg, shooting 57.4% across 64 contests.

However, if Barnes can continue developing into a premier scoring option while maintaining his dynamic approach, it should bode well for Toronto's future. The Raptors (28-47) already made a sizeable bet on Barnes' upside, giving him a massive five-year, $224,237,860 contract extension last summer.

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Vince Carter pegs Scottie Barnes-led Raptors as team to watch in future

While raving about Scottie Barnes' potential, Vince Carter praised Barnes' teammate RJ Barrett. Per Carter, the Canadian standout, averaging a team-best 21.5 ppg through 55 appearances, has taken his play to another level since joining his hometown squad.

"Since he's been there in Toronto, his overall game has flourished," Carter said.

Carter added that if the Raptors successfully build around Barnes and Barrett, they could soon make noise in the Eastern Conference.

"If they can put that together, add some pieces, look out for this team in the future," Carter said.

The Raptors will presumably enter next season with injured star trade deadline acquisition Brandon Ingram (ankle) healthy and ready to make his debut. Meanwhile, they possess the seventh-best draft lottery odds (7.5%) for what is projected to be a stacked 2025 draft class.

If all falls into place, Toronto could have an avenue to return to playoff contention as soon as next year.

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