The newly crowned NBA champion Golden State Warriors are flying high right now. And it looks like the party bus can keep rolling for a bit longer with this week’s revelation that another key member of their young core wants to stay with the franchise long-term.
In an interview with Diamond Leung of the San Jose Mercury News that run Thursday, forward Harrison Barnes talked about his desire to remain a Warriors for a long time to come.
“I mean, we just won a championship,” said Barnes. “Of course I’d love to keep this group together for many years to come, you know what I’m saying? So that’s obvious.”
The 23-year-old is eligible for a long-term extension with Golden State this summer. The two sides have until the October 31 extension deadline for the 2012 draft class to work out a deal. If an agreement is not reached by then, Barnes will become a restricted free agent in the 2016 offseason.
The North Carolina product was a massive two-way X-factor for the Dubs in their Larry O’Brien run. Barnes started all 103 games (regular season and playoffs) the Warriors played in 2014-15, allowing Finals MVP Andre Iguodala to be unleashed as a biohazard off the bench. His length and versatility to lock down multiple positions helped Golden State go full buzzsaw on the defensive end, as the team posted a mind-numbing 97.9 defensive rating with Barnes on the floor last year (as opposed to 98.7 with Barnes on the bench).
He also made huge waves on the offensive end last season. Barnes flashed a vastly improved jumper, a lethal weapon for the Warriors offense whenever their guards were able to get penetration and bend the defense away from the perimeter. He shot a career-high 48.2 percent from the field as a combo forward, including a stellar 40.3 percent from 16+ feet away (as opposed to 34.6 percent from that same distance in his first two seasons combined). Barnes developed his underrated post-up game as well and made strides as a close-range finisher (connecting on a career-best 51.9 percent clip at the rim).
Though Barnes may never develop into anything more than tertiary option behind the Splash Brothers, at least he has his priorities straight: winning above all. It’s great to see that Barnes does not subscribe to the “take the championship and run” theorem espoused by young forwards of the past like post-Lakers Trevor Ariza and post-Spurs Stephen Jackson.
After locking up Klay Thompson last October and retaining Draymond Green this July, Barnes is now the next priority for the Golden State front office. As they attempt to become the NBA’s next great dynasty, a continued business relationship between Barnes and the Warriors is a no-brainer for both sides.
At least we know how Barnes is NOT going to celebrate when his extension gets done.
H/T CBS Sports
*Stats courtesy of NBA.com*
