Harrison Barnes Comments on Departure from Warriors in Free Agency
The Golden State Warriors' signing of Kevin Durant resulted in Harrison Barnes joining the Dallas Mavericks as a restricted free agent, and the Mavs' prized acquisition commented Wednesday on his eventful offseason.
Durant's arrival overshadowed the 24-year-old forward's departure, which prompted the former North Carolina standout to joke about being a forgotten man of sorts, according to Marcus Thompson II of the San Jose Mercury News:
"I guess I died. ...
Dwight [Howard] trade rumors. Kevin Love trade rumors. Kevin Durant ... oh, that one happened. There's been a few instances where you consider what might happen. I was just more so glad to be there [in Golden State] as long as I was.
"
In addition to a four-year, $94 million deal with the Mavericks, Barnes is set to represent his country in the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro as part of the United States men's basketball team. He'll join a pair of former Warriors teammates in Klay Thompson and Draymond Green.
Per Thompson II, Barnes revealed the hustle and bustle of the offseason thus far has made it difficult for him to reflect on everything that has happened:
"It's been a chaotic summer. I haven't really had time to process too much. We lost in the Finals. I'm going to Dallas. I'm here on the Olympic team. Even being here hasn't sunk in yet. It's been a whirlwind. I'm just trying to take it all in.
"
Despite being the Dubs' fourth scoring option last season behind Thompson, Green and two-time MVP Stephen Curry, Barnes enjoyed a solid campaign, averaging a career-high 11.7 points per game and 4.9 rebounds during the regular season.
His play dropped off in the playoffs, however, as he put up nine points per contest and shot just 38.5 percent from the field. His struggles in the NBA Finals also made him one of the scapegoats in Golden State's shocking defeat at the hands of the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 7.
The pressure to perform is even greater for Barnes now that the Mavericks are paying him like an elite player and he's viewed as the soon-to-be face of the franchise.
He has yet to prove he can be a go-to guy, but having experienced deep playoff runs and having played winning basketball over the past couple of seasons, he is well-positioned to take a big leap forward individually in 2016-17 and beyond.
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