Harrison Barnes was unceremoniously shoved out the door by the Golden State Warriors, and he admits that, while not surprising, it was difficult.
Barnes, who is set to return to Golden State as a member of the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday night, said that he knew the writing was on the wall once the Warriors lost the NBA Finals.
“There were a lot of emotions after a Game 7 loss,” Barnes said, via Tim MacMahon of ESPN. “I think a lot of people were upset, frustrated. And we blew a 3-1 lead. So that was the mindset. I think we knew they were going to blow it up if we lost that series, which we did. I can’t say I was surprised.”
The Warriors told Barnes in his exit interview that they would be seeking alternatives in free agency, and it wasn’t easy to leave the only franchise that he’d ever known.
“It was difficult, man,” Barnes said. “Just because you go back and you watch Game 7 and you’re like, ‘Man, it’s two minutes away from planning a parade’ or ‘Thank you for your services.’ It was a pretty big switch.
“At the end of the day, you’ve got to put that stuff to the side. I made the decision to go to Dallas. I don’t really dwell on that and just move forward.”
Barnes had a snarky remark when he left the Warriors back in the summer, but he’s been quite conciliatory despite how he was essentially sent away by Golden State. No matter what he says, he’ll probably be motivated.
