Hoops Rumors Community Shootaround 9/22/15

Forward Harrison Barnes has reportedly turned down a four-year, $64MM contract extension proposal from the Warriors this offseason. It’s unclear just how rich a contract the 23-year-old and his new agent, Jeff Schwartz of Excel Sports Management, are seeking, though it’s highly likely they will attempt to secure an average annual value as close to the maximum as they possibly can. The offer of $16MM per year annually had been negotiated by Barnes’ former agent, Jeff Wechsler, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports. After that initial offer, Wechsler countered with a figure north of $16MM annually before he and Barnes parted ways, league sources informed Wojnarowski.

The Warriors obviously wish to retain Barnes, judging by their offer. GM Bob Myers had previously gone on record about the team’s desire to keep Barnes, as well as big man Festus Ezeli, who is also eligible to sign an extension prior to the November 2nd cutoff date. “We love them and we’re going to try to keep them as long as we can,” Myers said of Barnes and Ezeli. “Thankfully, like with Draymond Green, they would be restricted free agents [next summer]. But hopefully we can figure something out like we have with a lot of our players. They’re a key part of what we do. Without them, we don’t win a championship.”

This brings me to today’s topic: Should the Warriors ink Harrison Barnes to an extension? If so, what average salary would be commensurate with his production and potential?

Grantland’s Zach Lowe has estimated that Barnes would end up with a deal between the four years and $58MM that DeMarre Carroll secured from the Raptors this offseason and the projected $20.4MM max for players with Barnes’ level of experience. Tim Kawakami of the Bay Area News Group has suggested salaries of $14MM-$16MM a year, while Hoops Rumors’ Chuck Myron reasoned that salaries of $16-18MM would make sense for both sides when he looked in-depth at the extension candidacy of the former seventh overall pick.

Which of these estimates do you think make the most sense for both sides? If you don’t agree with any of the above assessments, then please share the average annual value that you would be willing to fork over to Barnes. Take to the comments section below to share your thoughts and opinions. We look forward to what you have to say.

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