All season long there have been talks about a Golden State Warriors forward possibly leaving town once the season ends. Draymond Green has been rumored to fall everywhere and anywhere with teams that have some sort of money but nothing seems to be sticking around yet. As the Warriors battle the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA Finals, the Warriors forward and his value on the court has been discussed heavily. Especially considering he almost fouled out of game 1. There is actually one other forward that has played a pivotal role for the Dubs this season. The once heavily criticized and almost ostracized Harrison Barnes.
The UNC Tar Heels product has been fantastic during the Warriors run this season and he’s come up huge for Golden State in multiple situations, including his 3 at the end of the game to help the Warriors take an overtime win over the Cavaliers.
As the season comes to an end and the Warriors are three wins away from capturing their first title as a franchise since 1975, it also appears the end of the season might be a busy time for both Warriors forwards and their status with the Dubs.
Following from Marcus Thompson of the Bay Area News Group.
Harrison Barnes, who once again has shined in the postseason, is due for a contract extension this offseason. And the Warriors should be diligent about making sure he gets it.
According to multiple sources, Barnes indeed wants an extension and the Warriors want to give him one.
Keeping Barnes seems like a necessity at this point. He’s gone from being a player that was heavily criticized for his lack of scoring and deficencies defensively in the past but now, on the big stage of the finals, he’s done nothing but prove his worth. He’s been hitting big shot, continued to get to the rim with ease, has gotten a lot bigger and is playing some great defense. The scary thing is, he’s only going to get better.
Barnes was the 7th pick in the 2012 draft, a draft that also saw the Warriors bring in Festus Ezeli and Draymond Green, and finally this season he’s been living up to his high draft stock. As Thompson goes on to say, Barnes could command as much as $12 million a year and that wouldn’t be too crazy of a deal considering the new projected cap for the next few years.
Barnes’ value is high and keeping him around, whether it’s for the future of the team or as an asset for a mega-deal, would be best for business in Oakland.
