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Apr 26, 2019; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors forward Kevin Durant (35) celebrates with forward Draymond Green (23) against the LA Clippers in the first half of game six of the first round of the 2019 NBA Playoffs at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
By now, it’s safe to say we all know who the Golden State Warriors would love to add to the fold via a free agent signing.
Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James will be on the market this summer, and the Dubs have already been linked to the future Hall of Famer several times.
However, there’s an underrated contributor Golden State could pursue, per Blue Man Hoop’s Peter O’Keefe. That asset is a 33-year-old NBA champion who was replaced by Kevin Durant in the Bay back in 2016.
“Harrison Barnes could be a free agency target for the Warriors,” O’Keefe wrote last Sunday.
“The former Warrior averaged nearly 26 minutes per game during the regular season, but that's fallen off dramatically to just 10.9 through the first four games of the playoffs (with the San Antonio Spurs) where Barnes is posting only 2.0 points, 0.8 rebounds and 0.3 assists on 25% shooting from the floor.”
“Barnes could be a proven veteran option to add some depth in that department, and Golden State could incentivize the 33-year-old with a much bigger role at least through the early portion of the season before Butler returns from injury.”
Barnes’ career took a drastic turn after the Warriors’ epic 3-1 NBA Finals collapse against the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016. Instead of running it back with the same squad, the Dubs elected to let Barnes walk in free agency and sign Durant in the offseason.
Barnes eventually signed with the Dallas Mavericks before joining the Sacramento Kings and, most recently, the Spurs. The North Carolina product hasn’t been anywhere near the NBA finals since leaving the Dubs a decade ago. Still, he’s been a solid veteran presence during the second leg of his NBA career, and has shot at least 35% from long range.
A reunion with Barnes wouldn’t solve all of the Warriors’ problems, but it surely wouldn’t make them any worse.
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