Harrison Barnes is a Hidden Gem This Offseason

Overtime Heroics Editorial

674 days ago

The Sacramento Kings have made it clear that some of their players will be available for trade this upcoming offseason. Players like Buddy Hield, Marvin Bagley, and even some of their draft picks have been discussed in trade talks. With all the discussions surrounding Sacramento’s rebuild around the young guard pairing of De’Aaron Fox and Tyrese Haliburton, what does this mean for veteran wing Harrison Barnes?

Harrison Barnes Should be on NBA Teams Radars

Coming off a season where Barnes averaged 16 points per game on nearly 50% shooting, plenty of teams can use his versatility and scoring ability. His salary may be tough to create a trade, but if a team does not want to spend a ton of draft capital and assets, the Kings should be on their call list about forming a trade surrounding Barnes.

Potential Suitors for Harrison Barnes

Miami Heat

The Heat showed that they can struggle to score the ball, so adding a player that averaged nearly 20 points a game will help Miami in their quest for the 2022 NBA Finals. Playing him at the Power Forward alongside of Bam Adebayo helps with the floor spacing and versatility for the Heat. A career 38% shooter from the arc, Barnes adds another shooter for Miami. Add in that a trade for Barnes probably will not include either Tyler Herro or Duncan Robinson, the Heat should jump at the opportunity.

Boston Celtics

Playing off players like Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson in his career, Barnes displayed he can play off two superstars and be an effective player. So playing off the duo in Boston should be nothing new for the former Tarheel. Near the end of the year, Boston did not have too much depth surrounding their duo, so adding in a player with Finals experience and has the ability to create offense off-the-ball will help the Celtics.

Golden State Warriors

Why not a reunion? With Andrew Wiggins money and the 7th pick of the draft, the possibilities are endless for the Warriors this offseason. But a reunion with Golden State makes more sense than first presumed. The Warriors can trade down from 7 to 9 and swap Wiggins for Barnes in the deal. The Kings could potentially throw in another sweetener as well to get up to the seventh pick.

Denver Nuggets

Last on the list of potential suitors is the Denver Nuggets. Obviously Denver has a clear big three if Michael Porter Jr. takes the next step to super-stardom. But that does not mean that the Nuggets cannot add another veteran forward into the mix. This past season the Nuggets added Aaron Gordon mid-season to bolster their forward rotation. Getting another forward that can play off the ball is perfect for Denver.

A Barnes Trade will not Make Huge Waves, but can Legitimize a Contender’s Chances

He is not an All-Star, but a career 14 point a game scorer and 38% three-point shooter will help any team’s chances at winning the NBA Finals. Barnes has been a third star on championship-caliber teams, but has not gotten the respect he deserves this offseason.