Harrison Barnes – Sacramento Kings

After four seasons with the Golden State Warriors to begin his career, Harrison Barnes signed a four-year, $94M deal with the Dallas Mavericks ahead of the 2016-17 season.

While he played well in Dallas, averaging 18.7 points, 5.2 rebounds and shooting 36.7% from deep, Barnes was moved to the Sacramento Kings by the Mavericks just halfway through his big contract. 

Going out ahead of the trade deadline this season and bringing Harrison Barnes back would make sense from a numbers standpoint given that he can score either on the wing or in the paint, but why would the Mavericks want to bring Harrison Barnes back? 

The initial trade in 2019 was made because Dallas needed to save money after bringing in Kristaps Porzingis, but Barnes’ fit with the team did not seem like it was working. If they were to bring him back now, Harrison Barnes would be taking minutes away from Dorian Finney-Smith and Tim Hardaway Jr.

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This does not seem like a good idea and while he is making less than Buddy Hield and has one less year on his contract, Barnes just is not the right player for the Mavericks to target. Between Hield and Barnes, the Mavericks would be much better having Buddy Hield because of the fact that Harrison Barnes needs the ball in his hands to be effective. 

Hield can move around and run off screens, opening up three-point shooting opportunities, whereas Harrison Barnes is more of a mid-range and drive-to-the-rim type of scorer. This style would conflict with that of Luka Doncic, which is why the Mavs should stay away from Barnes. 

Verdict: Pass