Harrison Barnes Reportedly Expected to Be Signed to Max Offer Sheet by Mavericks
Restricted free agent Harrison Barnes is reportedly expected to be signed to a four-year offer sheet at maximum salary by the Dallas Mavericks when offer sheets become official July 7.
ESPN's Marc Stein was the first to report the news, but he added the following caveat regarding the Golden State Warriors and their pursuit of Kevin Durant:
Per SportsCenter, Stein also reported that the contract offer is expected to be worth a total of $95 million.
Barnes averaged a career-high 11.7 points per game last season to go along with 4.9 rebounds and 1.8 assists. He struggled in the playoffs, however, averaging 9.0 points and shooting just 38.5 percent from the field.
Since the Dubs selected him with the No. 7 overall pick out of North Carolina in 2012, Barnes has largely been a complementary player.
With Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green serving as offensive options ahead of him, his potential production has been capped.
The 24-year-old can be a dynamic offensive player due to his speed, willingness to attack the basket and ability to hit shots from long range. His ceiling is high, and the Mavs will be banking on significant development in an increased role should they sign him to an offer sheet.
Golden State has a right to match the offer and may well do so if Durant signs elsewhere, although locking in Barnes would conceivably prevent the Warriors from making other significant improvements in the coming years.
Dallas is rolling the dice with such a big offer, but it needed to make a splash after missing out on many of the other top free agents.
The Mavs are also set to lose wing Chandler Parsons after he reportedly agreed to terms with the Memphis Grizzlies, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical, which leaves the Mavericks with a significant void at small forward.
Dallas may also need to make a big move to entice free-agent forward Dirk Nowitzki to stay rather than chase a championship elsewhere.
Barnes would have the opportunity to be a cornerstone guy with the Mavs, and although he has yet to prove he is that caliber of player, his overall talent level makes signing him a risk worth taking for a desperate team in Dallas.
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