Entering the 2022-23 season, Sacramento Kings We are at a crossroads when it comes to Harrison Barnes.
Barnes is a perfect fit for a complementary role next to franchise cornerstones Domantas Sabonis and De’Aaron Fox. Barnes, on the other hand, is entering the final season of his contract and is expected to make $18.4 million, and will be able to walk off paying nothing at the end of the season.
The Kings are relatively wealthy after that Swap Tyrese Halliburton for Sabonis trade with Kevin Harter’s Protected First Roundso we can’t afford to lose a good player for free.
Barnes, 30, has been the Kings’ top three player since moving from Dallas in March 2019, but unfortunately that hasn’t changed Sacramento’s fortunes.
Finally, Sacramento looks like a team with a depth of NBA talent that hasn’t been seen during Barnes’ tenure.
Added two teams Malik Monk’s multi-faceted shooter and Kevin Harter.they Keegan Murray drafted 4th overallWho, Based on his Summer League performancewill soon contribute in the NBA.
With Murray’s addition, Barnes finally has another capable wing-sized player on his roster who can make a meaningful impact on the game.
Still, the Kings’ shorthand on the wing makes me think they can’t afford to move Barnes unless they bring back a similarly sized player. But they would still be the best pair of forwards the Kings have had in years.
One of the questions I have about Barnes this season and going forward is his defense, especially when he’s entrusted with guarding the small forward.
Less talked about, Barnes has fallen quite a bit defensively in recent seasons. You can’t limit all of Sacramento’s defensive struggles to Barnes, but he didn’t help in that regard.
Among eligible players, Barnes had the fifth-worst fielding percentage in the NBA last season. Barnes’ visual acuity test confirms this reduction in defenses, although individual defense indices remain imperfect.
He is frequently beaten on the dribble and seems to have lost some of the athleticism that was one of his best traits early in his career. At this point in his career, it’s getting harder and harder to see Barnes as a small forward.
Barnes is still overall positive on the floor about what he can do offensively, but defensive question marks need to be raised.
During the last two NBA trade deadlines, it looked like Barnes was very likely to move on to the contender.
Kings general manager Monte McNair is aware of the weaknesses of the roster and how subtracting Barnes makes it even worse. , but the expiring Barnes probably won’t hold the same value as it has in recent years.
The bottom line is that the team doesn’t have many moves left on the chessboard that they can make before the season. Burns is one of the few they still have.
Do the Kings want to be the team that pays Burns in his 30s? And does Burns really want to spend the last few seasons of his prime in Sacramento?
When it comes to Burns, there are no easy answers. If there had been a perfect deal where Sacramento could trade Barnes for a 25-year-old version of Barnes, it would have already happened.
The most likely scenario is that Barnes will return to the Kings jersey, given his value this next season and how much the organization values what happens. .
