Harrison Barnes had an inconsistent season with the Golden State Warriors last year, but that didn’t stop him from signing a max contract with another team. Once the Warriors were in play for Kevin Durant, they decided to move on from Barnes. In some ways, he felt like the forgotten man.
In a recent interview after a Team USA practice, Barnes spoke about how quickly his time with the Warriors came to an end even though he was a restricted free agent. To his credit, he has no problem joking about the situation.
“I guess I died,” Barnes said sarcastically, via Marcus Thompson III of the Bay Area News Group.
In reality, Barnes knew he had become expendable. There was no way the Warriors were going to offer him a max contract, especially with rumors swirling that they were trying to find ways to add another superstar.
“Dwight trade rumors. Kevin Love trade rumors. Kevin Durant … oh, that one happened,” Barnes said. “There’s been a few instances where you consider what might happen. I was just more so glad to be there as long as I was.”
Barnes really has nothing to complain about. The Dallas Mavericks are paying the 24-year-old strictly for his potential. Barnes averaged just 11.7 points and 4.9 rebounds while playing over 30 minutes per game last season. Those aren’t exactly max contract numbers, though Thompson notes he was a bargain when he made a total of $12.6 million in his four seasons with Golden State.
Barnes obviously has a good sense of humor, which was evident in that photo he posed for when signing with the Mavs. If you’re going to be cast away by the team that drafted you, it might as well be because one of the greatest players in the game is taking your paycheck.
