Does this trade make sense for the Dallas Mavericks?
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 style of play could very well clash with that of Kristaps Porzingis’ since he tends to play out on the perimeter/wing as well.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: 3 Trade Targets For Dallas Mavericks — Pass Or Pursue?
The advantage to bringing in Harrison Barnes in favor of Tim Hardaway Jr. though is the fact that Barnes can create space and shots for himself whereas Hardaway normally cannot. Normally a catch-and-shoot wing, Tim Hardaway Jr. really depends on Luka Doncic to create spacing on the floor, but this would not be the case with Harrison Barnes.
Marvin Bagley III would be an excellent player to get in this trade not only because he is in the final year of his rookie contract, but because the Dallas Mavericks need a true power-forward that can play alongside Kristaps Porzingis.
Assuming he would be in the starting rotation, Bagley could play anywhere from 20-30 minutes per night and have no problem averaging 12-14 points and 6-8 rebounds per game for this Dallas team.
The point of the matter is that both Bagley and Barnes give the Mavericks more potential on offense than the three guys that they would be trading away currently have, which is why this could be something Dallas is interested in.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: 3 Trade Targets For Dallas Mavericks — Pass Or Pursue?
Tim Hardaway Jr. cannot be traded until December 15 as a result of signing a long-term deal this past offseason, so it will be interesting to see if the Dallas Mavericks do in fact look to leverage him at some point prior to the trade deadline in February.
