The tidal wave from the DeMarcus Cousins trade continues to ripple through the NBA, and Matt Barnes is the next casualty. The Sacramento Kings will waive the 14-year vet to create the proper roster room for the players acquired in the trade, according to the Kings official press release.
The Kings acquired Buddy Hield, Tyreke Evans, and Langston Galloway from New Orleans in Sunday night’s blockbuster trade. Barnes becomes the odd-man out on a team that is expected to look very different in the next week. Sacramento has put other players out on the trade market, including Darren Collison and Aaron Afflalo. In addition the Kings are considering releasing Evans and Galloway, two transactions that could make the free agent pool much more interesting as teams look to prepare their rosters for the playoffs.
Barnes, who has averaged 7.6 points per game this season, could be a nice addition to a contender looking for some wing depth. His value is limited due to his age, but the veteran should garner some interest. The Kings are now officially in rebuild-mode and will look to add younger talent and draft choices before the trading deadline. For this reason, Barnes became expendable.
