Kings forward Harrison Barnes declines $25M option, will enter free agency
Add Harrison Barnes to the list of unrestricted NBA free agents.
Barnes, who was traded to the Sacramento Kings at the trade deadline, has decided to decline his $25.1 million option to remain with the Kings next season, according to multiple outlets. Instead, Barnes, 27, will enter free agency once again.
Barnes played a key role on the 2015-16 Golden State Warriors team that won the NBA title. With the Warriors landing Kevin Durant in free agency, Barnes agreed to a $94 million deal with the Dallas Mavericks in 2016.
Barnes played two full seasons in Dallas, averaging 18.9 points per game in 2017 and 17.7 points in 2018 before being traded to Sacramento at the deadline. Per ESPN, the Kings hoped to make Barnes a piece of their core moving forward alongside promising young players like De’Aaron Fox, Buddy Hield and Marvin Bagley III.
It still could happen. Barnes is seeking a long-term commitment and “remains open” to exploring a new agreement with the Kings, ESPN is reporting. The Sacramento Bee suggested that a four-year deal “in the range of $18 million to $20 million” per year would be beneficial to both sides.
If a new deal with the Kings does not come to fruition, the 6-foot-8 Barnes should have plenty of suitors on the open market. Between the Mavericks and Kings, Barnes averaged 16.4 points per game while hitting 39.5 percent of his shots from 3-point range. In his 28 games in Sacramento, Barnes averaged 14.3 points and 5.5 rebounds while hitting 40.8 percent from long distance.
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