5 free agency destinations for Harrison Barnes
By John Buhler
Harrison Barnes is an integral piece in the starting lineup for the Golden State Warriors. Here are five teams the small forward could join in free agency.
After four strong seasons with the Golden State Warriors, starting small forward Harrison Barnes will test NBA Free Agency for the first time in his NBA career as a 24-year-old. Barnes went No. 7 overall to the Warriors in the 2012 NBA Draft after two stellar seasons with the North Carolina Tar Heels in the ACC.
Barnes’ emergence as a strong starter for a title-contending team has elevated both the Warriors ascendence as an NBA elite team, as well as his value when he hits the open market this summer. Then new head coach Steve Kerr’s faith in Barnes in 2014-15 after a disappointing 2013-14 campaign with then head coach Mark Jackson’s squad the year before allowed the Warriors to catapult from good to historic overnight.
While Barnes isn’t one of the four best players on the Warriors, his ability to start and play well offensively at small forward allows former All-Star Andre Iguodala to come off the bench and decimate the opposition with his veteran leadership in the second unit.
With small forward being crucially important in the small ball era of the NBA, as well as being the one position on the floor that lacks depth across the league, Barnes’ value is going to skyrocket with every Warriors win he is a part of.
While he only averages 12.0 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.7 assists per game in 2015-16, Barnes is set to for a huge pay increase in free agency. Here are five teams that should pursue the sharp-shooting small forward from Ames, Iowa in 2016 NBA Free Agency.
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