Harrison Barnes (Photo : Pool | Getty Images Sport)
The NBA free agency rumors continue as there seems to be no way to beat the Golden State Warriors but to decimate their roster.
Harrison Barnes is one of the Warriors key players entering restricted free agency, center Festus Ezeli is the other. It seems unimaginable that the Warriors front office would ever tinker with their record-chasing lineup, especially when they have the option to match.
Barnes is projected to be one of the more intriguing free agent prospects as opposing teams believe he still has much to offer. The former North Carolina standout is athletic, has three point range and versatile on defense. Many believe he has the potential to become a second or even first option on other teams-something he would never be on the loaded Golden State Warriors team.
This is why Today's Fast Break called him the Warriors' "forgotten man."
"Harrison Barnes is probably feeling a little left out these days. Left behind, maybe. Marginalized, for sure.That's not to say he's unhappy - at least not outwardly," TFB writer Grant Hughes said.
There will be teams who would probably offer him a max contract, even in the West Coast, the LA Lakers, who have a young core but needs a small forward who could be the main scoring option, or Portland who could fit him with "Splash Brothers Lite" Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum. Both teams have cap space to offer a max and a legitimate need that Barnes could fill.
However, one necessary question is whether Barnes makes the Warriors system better or his impressive numbers are a product of Golden State's overall excellence. Hughes cites an example.
"Teams around the league may look at his decent shooting percentages (46.3 percent from the field, 37.3 percent from deep) and question how he'll sustain those when almost every shot he takes isn't wide open - the product of defenses focused on his more dangerous teammates."
Will Barnes still thrive in a team if the defenses are focuses on him, with no Steph Curry stretching the floor all the way to the quarter court? That could amount to a $20 million+ question. Basketball Insiders confirms that teams are on the prowl.
"But as an entire league sits back and marvels at the success of the Warriors, just as with Draymond Green last year, a fair number of other teams imagine poaching one of the most underrated players in the entire league from beneath their noses.
That would be Harrison Barnes."
Barnes could very well sign a max contract with any team. He is only 23 years old and he is not a title chaser (he already has one, possibly two after this season). His priority could be his own self-development.
But ultimately, it is not his question to answer as he is restricted and the Warriors will have the prerogative to match. Will they tie down their cap to max out Barnes when Stephen Curry's free agency is coming next year?
