Free Agency should be a fun time for former North Carolina Tar Heels player Harrison Barnes except that he may not be able to return to Golden State.
Former North Carolina Tar Heels forwardHarrison Barnesis in the midst of the NBA Finals right now. While a big question would be whether the Warriors will keep starting him (answer: yes,LeBron Jamesshifts to the four withKevin Loveout) overAndre Iguodala, the bigger question for Barnes is what happens to him after the Finals end.
Barnes is a part of the best team in the league. His rookie contract is up and the NBA’s salary cap is rising big time. These things suggest that Barnes is about to come into big money, possibly max money. The problem is getting those things from the Warriors.
According to reports from Matt Moore at CBS Sports, Barnes wants to come back to Golden State. The problem is that he may not be their first choice if they have to pay out big bucks. The Warriors have already locked downDraymond Greenand they are looking at spending max level money onStephen Currywhen he comes to free agency down the line.
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Yet those decisions are the real problem behind Barnes’ fate. The real problem is theKevin Durantlovefest that is about to break out this off season. Durant plays Barnes’ position and would eat up all the money the team would otherwise use to re-sign Barnes.
This means that if Barnes was to wait on the Warriors, he would also have to wait on Durant. In the meantime he is likely to get a better offer from some team looking for a small forward ‘3 and D’ type player that Barnes can provide.
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Another problem with Barnes waiting on the Warriors would be that even if the team doesn’t get Durant, they may not want to pay whatever Barnes’ price has become. They may reason that they are the best option that Barnes has. If the 76ers want to pay him a max deal, then let them and Barnes can go lose for a couple of years.
One location Barnes will not end up in is Charlotte. The space he would occupy is held byMichael Kidd-Gilchristright now. To acquire Barnes, the Hornets would have to trade MKG somewhere and even then the money might not work out for them if the team still hopes to re-signNicolas Batum,Jeremy Lin,Marvin Williamsand/orAl Jefferson.
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So Barnes demonstrates the double edged sword that is free agency. It can be good for you, but you just might find yourself replaced.
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