Could Harrison Barnes be traded in 2014-15?

The Golden State Warriors selected forward Harrison Barnes with the seventh overall pick in the 2012 NBA Draft, but quite simply don’t have a place for him to play big minutes at this point in time. They have been using him as one of their key bench pieces, but the addition of Andre Iguodala last offseason doesn’t bode well for Barnes breaking into the starting lineup anytime soon. He is a very talented player with starting potential, but he likely won’t get that chance unless something major happens in Golden State.

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There have been quite a few trade rumors surrounding Barnes over the past year, especially this past offseason when the Warriors were looking to acquire power forward Kevin Love. It will be interesting to see whether or not teams try to acquire Barnes from the Warriors, but it wouldn’t be surprising to see trade rumors pop up at some point.

Zach Buckley of BleacherReport.com lists Barnes as one of the most likely trade candidates heading into the season.

"The Warriors could opt to keep waiting, but with versatile forwards Andre Iguodala and Draymond Green on the roster, they might be willing to weigh offers for Barnes. If potential trade partners blame Barnes’ sophomore shooting slump (39.9 field-goal percentage) on his role in former coach Mark Jackson’s isolation-heavy offense, then Barnes’ impressive physical gifts could convince them he’s worth a closer look."

Barnes played in 78 regular season games last season with the Warriors, and started in just 24 of those appearances. The Warriors have quite a few talented players that play the same position as Barnes as the article states, which doesn’t allow Barnes to get the type of playing time that he needs to grow and improve. There are quite a few teams out there that could use a player with the talent and potential that Barnes holds, and he could find himself with a young up-and-coming team that needs him to score the ball and play major minutes.

After just two seasons, it is way too early to begin calling Barnes a bust, but there has been some rumbling that he will turn into a bust without a change of scenery. The Warriors can’t afford to keep him on the bench too much longer, and will have to make a decision on whether to put him on the court or the trade block. Barnes does have good trade value, and the Warriors could get some pieces that could help add depth to their rotation if they decide to move him.

Don’t be surprised to see Barnes’ name come up in trade talks off and on throughout the entire season up until the trade deadline. Golden State doesn’t like to pull the trigger on big trades, but this is a situation where they will have to seriously consider it. If they do choose to keep Barnes on the roster, he will once again have a role off of the bench as one of the first second unit players subbing into the game.

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