Harrison Barnes wants to re-sign with Warriors but says it's out of his control
With Kevin Durant in Golden State's sights, Barnes may not have a choice in staying in the Bay
By
Matt Moore
•
2 min read
Harrison Barnes is the biggest free agency question of the summer for the Golden State Warriors ... at least of the guys currently on roster. Barnes has started for the defending champions who are just three wins away from repeating and minting the best single season in NBA history after a record 73-win regular season.
That said, the Warriors have long been discussed as a potential landing spot for Kevin Durant. And with Draymond Green and Klay Thompson on max contracts, and Stephen Curry eventually in line for the max contract, all signs point to Golden State unlikely wanting to pay out big money for Barnes. Barnes, predictably, as a starter for what may be the best team ever, is going to want to make the most he can.
So this creates a problem.
Barnes told NBA.com this week that he wants to return to Golden State, but he recognizes that it's not under his control. From NBA.com:
But asked if he thinks he is staying, he told NBA.com: "Assuming no one else chooses to sign here?"
He smiled.
"It's out of my control," Barnes said. "People say, 'Do you want to be here in Golden State?' A lot of it is, look, I love Golden State. I'd love to be here. But there's also some other factors that factor into that, you know what I'm saying?"
Source: Durant out of the playoffs but still on Warriors' minds | NBA.com.
That sure makes it sound like the only thing standing in the way of Barnes returning is Durant, but the more complicated answer may be that the Warriors just can't rationalize paying through the nose for all five starters. With Andre Iguodala's success with the starting unit, and with other free agents like Nicolas Batum on the market, the Warriors may look elsewhere no matter what Durant decides.
Barnes is considered by many to be the weak link in the Warriors' starting unit, but there are often times when Barnes has helped carry the team offensively with key 3-pointers and post-up buckets over smaller defenders. He's not in any way a defensive liability and at age 24, with his athleticism, the idea of him in an expanded role on another team is at least interesting.
It's possible that Durant stays in OKC, Barnes decides to take a (huge) paycut, and everything remains the same. It'll be interesting to see how this plays out because retaining Barnes is a legitimate debate for the Warriors.
