According to reports, restricted free agent small forward Harrison Barnes has agreed to sign a four-year maximum offer sheet with the Dallas Mavericks. The contract cannot officially be signed until the end of the NBA’s moratorium period on July 7th. After that, the Golden State Warriors – Barnes’ incumbent team – will have three days to match the offer in order to retain Barnes. If the Warriors opt not to match it, then Barnes will become a member of the Mavericks.
Marc Stein of ESPN broke the news on Saturday evening:
ESPN sources say that the Mavericks intend to sign Warriors restricted free agent Harrison Barnes to a four-year max offer sheet on July 7
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) July 2, 2016
Report: Harrison Barnes Agrees to Offer Sheet with Dallas Mavericks
It has been reported that the Warriors plan on matching any offer made to Barnes if they do not land superstar free agent small forward Kevin Durant. If the Warriors lose out on Durant, expect them to match the offer and retain Barnes.
Barnes has fallen short of expectations ever since he came out of high school. He was a top two college recruit and agreed to play at the University of North Carolina. He played well in his two seasons, averaging 16.4 points per game and grabbing an average of 5.5 rebounds, but he didn’t play to the extent of what was expected of him.
Barnes was selected seventh overall by the Warriors in the 2012 NBA Draft. Since then, Barnes hasn’t really lived up to his draft position. Granted, he’s playing for a stacked Warriors team. There are several better options than Barnes on the offensive side, and the Warriors move the ball around so well and so much that Barnes doesn’t get as many looks as he would on other teams.
Barnes has career averages of 10.1 points per game, 4.6 rebounds per game, and a field goal percentage of 44.6 percent. With a bigger role on the offensive side, Barnes might be able to live up to the expectations that have surrounded him for so long. However, after four years of inconsistent play and the fact that he disappeared when he was needed in the 2016 NBA Finals, it doesn’t look like Barnes will be able to eliminate these doubts. With a brand new contract to live up to, a lot of eyes will be on Barnes next year — whether he’s playing for the Warriors or the Mavericks.
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