Dirk Nowitzki: Harrison Barnes a 'Genuinely Good Dude' After Reported Trade
February 7, 2019
Dallas Mavericks forward Harrison Barnes is being traded to the Sacramento Kings for Justin Jackson and Zach Randolph, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.
Barnes, who played 26 minutes against the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday, found out about the deal midgame.
After the Mavs' 99-93 win over Charlotte, Mavericks legend Dirk Nowitzki, who was Barnes' teammate for two-plus seasons, called the ex-UNC star a "genuinely good dude" among other compliments:
Barnes played four years with the Golden State Warriors before signing a four-year, $94.4 million deal with the Mavs in 2016. He averaged 18.8 points per game in a Dallas uniform.
While the blame shouldn't fall on Barnes' shoulders, the team won just 81 games over the past two-plus seasons. The initial goal was to build around Barnes, but plans have changed. Rookie Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis, who was recently traded from the New York Knicks, now compose the team's core to build around for the future.
Still, Barnes clearly left a strong positive impression on an all-time great who's met a lot of players since joining the league in 1998.
Of note, Barnes has also done a lot of charity work off the court. Charlotte Carroll of Sports Illustrated reported that he refurbished the basketball floor at the Dallas Boys & Girls Club and turned the building into a Santa workshop before the holidays. He also won the Alvin Attles Community Impact award in 2014 as a member of the Warriors.
Barnes will meet the Kings in Sacramento, where the team hosts the Miami Heat on Friday.