Tag: Harrison Barnes

Should the Chicago Bulls trade Lonzo Ball for Sacramento Kings veteran Harrison Barnes?

This deal could work well for all.

Should the Chicago Bulls trade oft-injured floor general Lonzo Ball for Sacramento Kings veteran forward Harrison Barnes? Per one NBA analyst, it would be a no-brainer. Bleacher Report’s Grant Hughes believes that the Kings should roll the dice on Ball’s potential health and scoring potential in exchange for a player who won’t be part of their future anyway.

“Ball’s future is beyond uncertain,” admits Hughes. “An excellent facilitator whose vision and standstill 3-point shooting helps offenses flow, Ball is also a clever, steal-hoarding defensive weapon. Though not a born scorer like Monk or the true shutdown stopper the Kings need, Ball is still a sneaky good (but obviously high-risk) option.”

The B/R NBA analyst rightly points out that the worst case scenario here is that Ball’s current deal comes off Sacramento’s cap sheet a year earlier than Barnes’ deal would have.

So while certainly a risk for the Kings, it might even help them clear their books a bit if it “fails.”

And for Chicago, the idea is that availability is the best ability, and would replace Ball’s dead salary should he not make a return next season with someone who can contribute on the court.

We would clearly much prefer Ball to return to the Bulls’ lineup, but if there’s real concern his recovery is not on firm ground, this deal could work well for all.

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Coby White drops career high in win over Sacramento Kings

Former UNC basketball guard Coby White drops a career-high 37 points while dropping fellow Tar Heel Harrison Barnes in a highlight finish.

It’s been quite the season for former UNC basketball star [autotag]Coby White[/autotag], who continues to improve his chances for the NBA Most Improved Player of the Year award.

White has been posterizing the competition and added another poster Monday night against another fellow Tar Heel. White and the Chicago Bulls played in Sacramento, taking on [autotag]Harrison Barnes[/autotag] and the Kings.

The second quarter is where White added Barnes to his highlight reel, as both Tar Heels matched up at the top of the key. White utilizing his handles and speed, not only crossed up Barnes to get to the rim, but added an exclamation point with a thunderous dunk over the former UNC star.

The monstrous finish added to what ended up being a huge night for White, scoring a career-high 37 points and seven assists. White led the charge for Chicago, who came back after being down 22 points to beat the Kings 113-109.

He had the go-ahead bucket in the win, scoring a layup late to give the Bulls a 111-109 lead.

This is White’s fifth game in the last two months, eclipsing 30 points or more, adding to his MIP resume. White and the Bulls will be back in action Wednesday to take on the Utah Jazz.

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Harrison Barnes scores career high in win over Warriors

Former UNC basketball forward Harrison Barnes scores a career high in the Sacramento Kings win.

Former North Carolina Tar Heel standout Harrison Barnes put together a career night for the Sacramento Kings. And it came at the perfect time.

Barnes finished with 39 points to help lead the Kings past his old team, the Golden State Warriors on Thursday night. The 39 points were just enough for the 134-133 road win, as the Kings needed all of them. Following the game, Barnes talked to the TNT broadcast about his play.

“Just trying to maximize opportunities,” Barnes said of his play. “We feel like we have a good team, when the ball is moving you want to take open shots, the ball is finding me, I’m just trying to maximize my opportunities.”

The 31-year-old Barnes has been a bright spot for the Kings as they look to make another run at the playoffs this season. Mixing in a good veteran for a young team is a big boost.

And Thursday’s game was another reason why.

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Report: Rockets interested in trade for Sacramento’s Harrison Barnes

In search of shooting, the Rockets have some trade interest in veteran Kings forward Harrison Barnes, according to veteran NBA writer Marc Stein.

As the NBA’s Feb. 8 trade deadline looms, finding a backup center to play behind rising star Alperen Sengun has been of interest to the Rockets. More shooting to space the floor for Houston’s young All-Star candidate could also be beneficial.

Given that dynamic, veteran NBA scribe Marc Stein reports veteran forward Harrison Barnes, now with the Sacramento Kings, could be a trade target for the Rockets.

In his latest newsletter, Stein writes:

The Rockets are known to be in the market for additional size in support of rising star Alperen Şengün and possess two trade-friendly contracts: Victor Oladipo’s expiring $9.5 million deal and Jock Landale’s four-year, $32 million deal that is only guaranteed this season.

League sources say the Rockets also have a level of interest in Sacramento’s Harrison Barnes in their quest to add shooting.

Now 31 years old, the 6-foot-7 Barnes is averaging 10.8 points (47.8% FG, 39.9% on 3-pointers) and 2.8 rebounds in 29.1 minutes per game this season. Also a reliable defender, Barnes is under contract at approximately $18 million annually through the 2025-26 season.

By combining Landale and Oladipo, the Rockets could easily meet that salary figure. The question is whether Houston and Sacramento could agree on value compensation (likely future draft equity or another player, be it from Houston’s roster or a potential third-team trade partner) to be sent along with those expiring deals.

Stein also writes Sacramento “is openly trying to use Barnes’ deal as the centerpiece of a trade package for a big-swing acquisition.”

Whether they can pull that off and make Barnes unattainable for Houston, stay tuned.

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Nine former UNC Basketball players on 2023-2024 NBA rosters

The NBA is well-represented by former Tar Heels, with nine suiting up across seven teams. The newest professional Tar Heel is Leaky Black.

NBA fans, sing your praises – the regular season is finally upon us.

Opening night kicked off on Tuesday, Oct. 24, with Lakers-Nuggets and Suns-Warriors giving fans an appetizer. There will be a full slate of games tonight, highlighted by Celtics-Knicks and Mavericks-Spurs, plus more to come throughout the weekend.

Tar Heel fans are highly anticipating the UNC season opener on Monday, Nov. 6 against Radford, but there’s good reason for them to also be excited about the NBA.

Nine former Tar Heels – Leaky Black, Cole Anthony, Day’Ron Sharpe, Harrison Barnes, Danny Green, Nassir Little, Coby White, Cam Johnson and Reggie Bullock – are on NBA rosters.

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A couple of them are starting, a few are valuable role players while one is a rookie.

Let’s take a deeper look at each former Tar Heel and how long they’ve been in the NBA for. Will any of them walk away with another championship?

Two Tar Heels Crack NBA Top 100 Rankings

Former Tar Heels Harrison Barnes and Cam Johnson crack ESPN’s ranking for top 100 NBA players.

ESPN has dropped its top 100 current NBA player list, and a few Tar Heels cracked this year’s ranking.

UNC’s Harrison Barnes and Cam Johnson found themselves on ESPN’s top 100 list on different trajectories in their respective careers. Barnes ranked 96th on the list after being 74th on last season’s list. A diminished role could be on the horizon, something that sports reporter Kendra Andrews pointed out under Barnes ranking.

“One huge question for 2023-24: What will his role be this season? Barnes signed a three-year, $54 million extension over the summer, and on a younger team looking to continue its rise, he is a trusted veteran voice for reigning Coach of the Year Mike Brown. However, Barnes’ minutes declined last year, and the addition of EuroLeague MVP Sasha Vezenkov could impact the way Sacramento uses Barnes in 2023-24.”

On the other hand, Cam Johnson is on the verge of a breakout year with plenty of opportunities. Unlike Barnes’s situation, Johnson is on a rebuilding Nets team in his youth, and his role is defined on the team. Johnson did not make the list last season but ranks 82nd this year.

It is surprising to see no Coby White or Cole Anthony, who have had big moments in their young careers.

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Harrison Barnes agree to contract extension with the Sacramento Kings

Harrison Barnes agrees to a three-year $54M contract extension with the Sacramento Kings.

Former North Carolina Tar Heels standout Harrison Barnes is staying in Sacramento. As free agency is set to begin on Friday, Barnes has agreed to a three-year $54M contract extension with the Sacramento Kings.

Days after trending from fans speculating Barnes’s next move, the forward has put ink to paper to stay with the Kings. Barnes is coming off a great year, starting all 82 regular season games and helping Sacramento end their 16-year playoff drought.

This past season, Barnes averaged 15 points and 4.5 assists, the ultimate glue piece for the Kings.

Despite rumors of Barnes joining ex-teammate Tyrese Haliburton in Indiana, the Kings retained the unrestricted free agent in hopes of lighting the beam past the first round.

The Kings still have work to do as one of the worse defenses in the NBA, but keeping Barnes for what seems like favorable discounts has to bring joy to Sacramento.

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Twitter reacts to Harrison Barnes best landing spots

Harrison Barnes trends on Twitter as fans debate the former Tar Heel’s best landing spot.

North Carolina Tar Heel [autotag]Harrison Barnes[/autotag] trends on Twitter after fans discuss his next destination in the NBA.

Barnes is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent, and fans are already debating which team could use his services for a path to a championship. Barnes’s longevity as a starter and the champion experience he brings to the table make the Tar Heel a perfect fit for numerous teams around the NBA.

Barnes is coming off one of his best seasons, starting all 82 games while averaging 15 points and 4.5 rebounds. Changing teams is familiar territory for Barnes; after winning a championship with the Golden State Warriors, he was with the Dallas Mavericks for two seasons before getting traded to the Sacramento Kings.

The Tar Heel has helped the Kings find their path back to the playoffs after a 16-year playoff drought. There is no actual crystal ball that says where Barnes will end up, but many Sacramento fans are hoping they can keep Barnes in hopes of lighting the beam past the first round of the NBA playoffs.

Let us look at what fans believe is the best landing spot for Harrison Barnes.

Pair of former Tar Heels named among top 30 NBA free agents

A pair of former UNC basketball players were named among the top 30 NBA free agents.

The NBA calendar will flip to the new league year later this week and when it does, free agency is expected to get off to a wild start. This year, there are some big names getting set to hit the market including James Harden, Kyrie Irving, Fred VanVleet , and Khris Middleton among others.

But a pair of former UNC basketball players could be cashing in as well.

Among the players set to hit free agency are wings Cam Johnson and Harrison Barnes.  Johnson is a restricted free agent meaning Brooklyn has the right to match any contract offer sheet he gets. Meanwhile, Barnes is an unrestricted free agent and can sign anywhere on the market.

As we get set for free agency, CBS Sports released its list of the top 30 free agents. And both Johnson and Barnes cracked the list.

Johnson checked in at No. 12 on the list:

Brooklyn’s direction is a bit uncertain at the moment, but it has the right to retain Johnson for whatever price another team is willing to offer. A sharpshooting wing with size who can run the floor is a hot commodity, and he should be paid accordingly.

Barnes was No. 19:

Mike Brown heaped praise upon Barnes throughout the Kings‘ first playoff series in 17 years, and he would certainly love to have the veteran forward back to help continue their ascent in the Western Conference. That being said, Barnes is the ideal proven, 3-and-D piece to place on any contender.

Both should get a nice payday for next season as rumors are swirling that Johnson could get up to $90M. Barnes is a savvy veteran that will find a home and should get a nice deal himself.

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Draymond Green was excluded from Harrison Barnes’ wedding but Steph and Klay were invited

Draymond: “Bruh … All these dudes was at the same meeting that I was at with KD.”

During the first round of the playoffs in the Western Conference, Sacramento Kings forward Harrison Barnes is facing his former team.

The former Golden State Warriors lottery pick has to face off against several former teammates during this intense matchup between two California rivals. That includes Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green.

Barnes, who won a title with the Warriors in 2015, was a starter for the 2016 team that won the most regular-season games in NBA history. But after that team fell short in the NBA Finals, Golden State’s front office moved on from Barnes and instead signed Kevin Durant.

During an episode of The Draymond Green Show in February, Green told guest Damian Lillard that he thinks Barnes still doesn’t like him for what happened that offseason:

“Harrison Barnes, I think to this day, still don’t like me for KD coming here. And the reality is I didn’t tell him to trade you to bring KD in … He took it very personally because of the story that came out that I cried to KD in the car … This dude invite Steph, Klay, everybody to his wedding except me. Like, bruh … All these dudes was at the same meeting that I was at with KD. They was all there, too … Like, I wasn’t invited to the wedding. It is what is it is. I thought it was funnier than anything.”

Barnes married his wife, Brittany Johnson, in July 2017.

Years later, however, Green is still wondering why Curry and Thompson got invitations but he did not.

Richard Jefferson, who played alongside Barnes for just one season in Golden State, commented on Instagram that he even got an invitation.

Kyrie Irving, Kendall Marshall, John Henson, James Michael McAdoo, Shammond Williams, and Justin Watts all attended the event as well.

Green and Barnes will match up once more during Game 5 of the first round of the Western Conference postseason on Wednesday at 10 p.m. ET.

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