Is Harrison Barnes Leaving the Sacramento Kings Soon?

Author: Steve O’Driscoll Training camp across the NBA tips off on September 30, meaning final roster decisions will need to be made soon. It also signifies that teams around the league will have one last chance to complete trades before rolling out their opening night starting lineup on October 19. While teams can make deals even after the season opener, generally it makes more sense to trade players before the start of the season or closer to the March trade deadline.

Harrison Barnes Profile

After leading Ames High School to two back-to-back undefeated seasons and Iowa 4A state championships Harrison Barnes played college Basketball for the North Carolina Tar Heels. According to ClutchBet, he is one of the few active players who makes the top 10 best Iowan basketball stars of all time, in a list that includes legends like Matt Bullard. Following his sophomore year, he was selected by the Golden State Warriors in the first round of the 2012 NBA draft as the seventh in total pick. He helped lead them to an NBA title in 2015. In 2016 the Olympic Gold Medal Winner was signed to a four-year $94 million deal with the Dallas Mavericks joining the Forbes list of the Highest paid athletes. Barnes was subsequently traded to the Sacramento Kings in 2019. Last season Barnes averaged 33.6 minutes per game of playing time and was the team’s third-leading scorer (behind De’Aaron Fox’s 23.2 and late season addition, Domantas Sabonis 18.9 per game) producing 16.4 points and 5.6 rebounds a game.

Improved Kings Roster

With the late-season addition of Domantas Sabonis, the signing of Kent Bazemore to a one-year deal, and adding first-round draft pick Keegan Murray, the Sacramento Kings have improved their roster and elevated fan expectations. Their pre-season 20-player roster is:

Trade Rumors

Trade rumors in the NBA abound during pre-season and again at the March trade deadline. Harrison Barnes has been the subject of trade rumors for the last two seasons, linking him to both the Boston Celtics, the Chicago Bulls, and the New York Knicks. There are several key factors fueling the current Barnes trade rumors. They include:

• Barnes is entering the final season of his contract and is set to make $18.4 million. So, it is possible he could leave the team for nothing at the conclusion of the season.
• The Kings drafted Keegan Murray at No. 4. Based on his Most Valuable Player Summer League performance, he is going to be an immediate contributor in the NBA according to USA Today Sports.
• Barnes seems to have regressed clearly on the defensive end over the past few seasons. He had the fifth-worst defensive rating in the NBA this past season.
• The Kings may decide they don’t want to pay Barnes into his 30’s.
• He will probably not have the same trade value after the upcoming season.
• Last season marked the 16th consecutive year that the Kings failed to make the playoffs.

Final Thoughts

The final decision on whether the Barnes trade rumors become a reality will be made by the Sacramento Kings General Manager, Monte McNair. If he does decide to trade Barnes, there will be no shortage of suitors. Will it happen this time? What are the odds that the third time the rumors will become a reality?