Matt Barnes Signs with Golden State Warriors

A decade after playing on the "We Believe" Golden State Warriors team that upset the 67-win Dallas Mavericks in the first round of the 2007 playoffs, Matt Barnes has headed back to the Bay Area.

The Warriors announced Thursday that Barnes has signed with the team after Marc Stein and Chris Haynes of ESPN.com first reported Golden State's intention to sign Barnes on Wednesday, as Kevin Durant's recent knee injury created a need for wing depth.

According to Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.com, Barnes' deal will be for the rest of the season. Stein and Haynes reported the Warriors are still planning to sign point guard Jose Calderon, who they hoped to bring in prior to Durant's injury, but they'll then waive him to make way for Barnes.

Barnes released a statement about the move on Instagram:

Barnes also commented on his return to the Warriors, per The Undefeated's Marc J. Spears:

Barnes said Golden State was the last team his mother saw him play on before she died from cancer, per Anthony Slater of the San Jose Mercury News:

"

Matt Barnes on the We Believe Warriors, His return to HSW and Stephen Jackson "tearing up" when he heard pic.twitter.com/brbXud1Oy8

— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) March 2, 2017"

The Sacramento Kings waived Barnes following the February trade that sent DeMarcus Cousins to the New Orleans Pelicans. The Kings added Tyreke Evans, Buddy Hield and Langston Galloway in that move, which gave them plenty of depth on the wing without Barnes.

Sacramento, which hasn't had a winning season since 2005-06, sent a clear signal with the Cousins trade that it planned to begin yet another rebuild. That left little room for the 36-year-old Barnes, whom the Kings signed to a two-year, $12.5 million deal before the 2016-17 campaign in an effort to make the playoffs while Cousins was still in his prime.

Barnes is the type of wing who adds value to a contending team that is a piece or two away from a title, not someone with the longevity to bolster a rebuild.

The Memphis Grizzlies originally selected Barnes with a second-round pick in 2002, but he wouldn't suit up with them until the 2015-16 campaign. In the meantime, he played for the Los Angeles Clippers, Kings, New York Knicks, Philadelphia 76ers, Warriors, Phoenix Suns, Orlando Magic and Los Angeles Lakers.

While he has never been a dominant scorer, Barnes does have four seasons in his career with double-digit scoring totals:

Season	Team	Games	Points	Assists	Rebounds	Steals	Three-Point Percentage
2003-04	Los Angeles Clippers	38	4.5	1.3	4.0	0.7	15.4
2004-05	Sacramento Kings	43	3.8	1.3	3.1	0.7	22.7
2005-06	New York Knicks/Philadelphia 76ers	56	3.1	0.5	2.2	0.4	20.0
2006-07	Golden State Warriors	76	9.8	2.1	4.6	1.0	36.6
2007-08	Golden State Warriors	73	6.7	1.9	4.4	0.7	29.3
2008-09	Phoenix Suns	77	10.2	2.8	5.5	0.7	34.3
2009-10	Orlando Magic	81	8.8	1.7	5.5	0.7	31.9
2010-11	Los Angeles Lakers	53	6.7	1.3	4.3	0.7	31.8
2011-12	Los Angeles Lakers	63	7.8	2.0	5.5	0.6	33.3
2012-13	Los Angeles Clippers	80	10.3	1.5	4.6	1.0	34.2
2013-14	Los Angeles Clippers	63	9.9	2.0	4.6	0.9	34.3
2014-15	Los Angeles Clippers	76	10.1	1.5	4.0	0.9	36.2
2015-16	Memphis Grizzlies	76	10.0	2.1	5.5	1.0	32.2
2016-17	Sacramento Kings	54	7.6	2.8	5.5	0.7	32.7

Barnes is a capable three-point shooter who can take advantage of openings when opposing defenders collapse on his teammates. He's also valuable on defense because of his versatility, which allows him to guard multiple positions.

This is not a season-altering signing for the Warriors, but Barnes adds more depth heading into the stretch run and postseason, particularly if Durant's injury proves to be serious. What's more, he is a playoff-tested veteran who entered the 2016-17 campaign with 83 postseason games on his resume.

Between his veteran leadership, defensive versatility, playoff experience and ability to eat minutes on the wing while Durant recovers from his knee injury, Barnes will be a solid addition for Golden State as it looks to build toward another title run this season.