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.
Reaction To Warriors, Barnes Extension Talks
Harrison Barnes resisted the notion that he should give former agent Jeff Wechsler the standard 4% commission before their parting of ways, Grantland’s Zach Lowe reports (Twitter link). It’s unclear how much commission Barnes has agreed to give new agent Jeff Schwartz. Wechsler, in negotiations with the Warriors, had reportedly asked for more than the $16MM annually the team offered before Barnes let him go, and it would be surprising if Barnes found Wechsler not to be aggressive enough in talks with the club, as Tim Kawakami of the Bay Area News Group surmises. See more on the Warriors and Barnes:
- Lowe doesn’t envision Barnes ending up with a max deal (Twitter link), but Ethan Sherwood Strauss of ESPN.com thinks it won’t be hard for him to come up with $20MM salaries if he hits free agency next summer, given the rising cap and his ability to defend opposing power forwards. That would be right around Barnes’ projected max of $20.4MM. Some in the Warriors organization feel guilt over the way the team failed to properly develop Barnes earlier in his career, Strauss writes.
- Barnes has more value to the Warriors if they sign him to an extension than if they don’t, in part because it would clear a hurdle to a sign-and-trade that brings Kevin Durant to Golden State next summer, as Kawakami details. The Warriors would nonetheless be willing to pass on an extension if Barnes wants much more than $16MM, Kawakami opines, believing that the sides will instead settle somewhere around $16MM just as the deadline is closing in.
- The presence of Draymond Green, whom the Warriors re-signed for five years and $82MM this summer, serves as a roadblock to Barnes ever hitting his ceiling as a player for Golden State, argues Jonathan Tjarks of RealGM.
- Barnes’ apparent rejection of the Warriors’ offer validates the decision the Hornets made to sign Michael Kidd-Gilchrist to a four-year, $52MM extension, posits Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer, who doesn’t believe the Hornets would trade Kidd-Gilchrist straight up for Barnes if the idea were ever broached (All Twitter links).
The Beat: Diamond Leung On The Warriors
Nobody knows NBA teams better than beat writers, save for those who draw paychecks with an NBA owner’s signature on them. The reporters who are with the teams they cover every day gain an intimate knowledge of the players, coaches and executives they write about and develop sources who help them break news and stay on top of rumors.
We at Hoops Rumors will be chatting with beat writers from around the league and sharing their responses to give you a better perspective on how and why teams make some of their most significant moves. Last time, we spoke with Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe about the Celtics. Click here to see all of the previous editions of this series.
Today, we gain insight on the Warriors from Diamond Leung of the Bay Area News Group. You can follow Diamond on Twitter at @Diamond83, and click here to check out his stories.
Warriors Notes: Babb, West, Analytics
Over the weekend it was reported that the Warriors have offered Harrison Barnes a four-year, $64MM contract extension, but the offer was declined. Even though Barnes’ camp is seeking more money, the proposal appears to be a starting point in talks on a long-term pact. At $16MM AAV, the Warriors would be able to stay under the tax threshold in 2016/17, retain Stephen Curry in the year after, and still have money left for free agents. The question now is – how much further will Golden State be willing to go? Here’s more on the Warriors..
- Chris Babb, acquired from the Celtics in the summer David Lee deal, could be a good fit for the Warriors, Keith Schlosser of Ridiculous Upside writes. While an up-and-down D-League player like Babb might not fit in with a lot of contenders, the defending champs could use the 26-year-old’s pesky D and high basketball IQ. If the W’s decide against keeping Babb, however, they won’t be on the hook for any cash as his deal is non-guaranteed.
- A self-described “old-fashioned” basketball mind, Warriors executive board member Jerry West doesn’t envision big success for “analytically based” teams, as Diamond Leung of the Bay Area News Group writes. “All of the analytical guys that have started to play a big role in it, and frankly, I’m not a big analytical person,” West told Sirius XM on Friday. “Give me the best players, and give me a great coach, and we’ll beat these analytically based organizations all the time. And I know they have their role. I know they have their place in basketball. But I see a lot of teams that follow that line, and I don’t see a lot of success there. I’m not knocking analytical people at all. But just give me the best players, and give me the best competitors, and I will show you a team that has a great chance to win every year.”
- Most of the same cast is back in Golden State, but the look will be different now that the Warriors are champs, Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com writes.
Warriors To Sign Tony Mitchell
The Warriors have agreed to sign forward Tony Mitchell, league sources tell Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports (on Twitter). The forward was a former No. 37 overall pick of the Pistons in 2013. Agent Brian Elfus of Impact has confirmed the deal, Charania adds.
Mitchell was one of the top players coming out of high school in 2010, but academic issues cost him his true freshman season in 2010/11. As a redshirt freshman, he put up 14.7 PPG, 10.3 RPG and 3.0 blocks per game for North Texas, leading him to consider entering the draft. He wound up staying one more season with the Mean Green before finally going pro and becoming a second-round draft choice of Detroit.
Despite his tremendous athleticism, Mitchell has yet to make his mark at the NBA level. In 2013/14, the forward saw just 3.8 minutes per game for the Pistons with averages of 1.0 PPG and 1.2 RPG. This past season, Mitchell did not see a single second of NBA action as Pistons coach/exec Stan Van Gundy kept him in the D-League for seasoning to start the year. A late December trade sent Mitchell to the Suns, but he dropped from the roster early on in the New Year. In February, Mitchell signed on with a Puerto Rican club when there was ostensibly little or no NBA interest.
Warriors Offer Harrison Barnes Extension
The Warriors have offered Harrison Barnes a four-year, $64MM contract extension proposal, reports Yahoo Sports’ Adrian Wojnarowski, who cites league sources.
The offer wasn’t accepted, Wojnarowski adds, but this appears to be a starting point in talks that could last until the November 2nd deadline for rookie extensions. Golden State has been reportedly seeking a deal with Barnes and fellow extension-eligible Festus Ezeli.
The offer of $16MM per year annually had been negotiated by Barnes’ former agent, Jeff Wechsler, according to Wojnarowski. After that initial offer, Wechsler countered with a figure north of $16MM annually before he and Barnes parted ways, league sources told Wojnarowski. Jeff Schwartz of Excel Sports is representing Barnes now. Former Nets executive Bobby Marks tweets that the proposed deal would allow the Warriors to stay under the tax in the 2016/17 season and allow them to re-sign Stephen Curry in 2017/18 and still have money left for free agents.
Pacific Notes: Babb, Crawford, Morris, Cauley-Stein
The Warriors intend to keep Chris Babb and evaluate him in training camp, according to Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe. The 6’5″ guard, who spent most of last season with the Celtics’ D-League affiliate in Maine, was acquired in the July 27th deal that sent David Lee to Boston. Babb signed a multi-year deal with the Celtics in April, and Washburn writes that the organization liked the effort he gave. Babb, who participated in the D-League All-Star Game, was recalled in April but didn’t appear in any games with the Celtics. He played 14 games with the team during the 2013/14 season, averaging 1.6 points.
There’s more news from the Pacific Division:
- The Clippers‘ best move may be to trade Jamal Crawford for a big man to back up DeAndre Jordan, writes Jesse Blancarte of Basketball Insiders. Crawford, who will make $5.675MM this season in the final year of his contract, has been the subject of trade rumors, although coach Doc Rivers said recently that he is unlikely to be dealt. Blancarte contends that Cole Aldrich doesn’t give the Clippers enough insurance off the bench and thinks the team should combine Crawford’s contract with C.J. Wilcox‘s and pursue another frontcourt player like the Heat’s Chris Andersen or Josh McRoberts, the Blazers’ Chris Kaman, the Bulls’ Taj Gibson or the Suns‘ Markieff Morris.
- Despite repeated trade demands, Morris will likely remain in Phoenix until at least Christmas, according to Doug Smith of The Toronto Star. In his weekly mailbag column, Smith also says native Canadian Steve Nash is unlikely to ever join the Raptors organization. The columnist points out that Nash, who is rumored to be in line for a part-time player development consultant position with the Warriors, is pretty established in Southern California.
- Despite his “raw” offensive skills, Willie Cauley-Stein is rated as the Kings‘ best offseason addition by Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders. In the site’s season preview for Sacramento, Pincus says the rookie center out of Kentucky can became an important part of the Kings’ lineup if he reaches his defensive potential.
Speights Savors Title As Contract Year Looms
The Larry O’Brien Trophy glistened in front of Marreese Speights this afternoon as about two dozen family, friends and well-wishers clutched paper plates of food in one hand and cell phone cameras in the other while they crammed into a tiny room at the Childs Park Recreation Center in his native St. Petersburg, Florida. The crowded but low-key hometown celebration, the latest stop for the trophy as the Warriors take it on tour around the country, served as a coda to a short but proud offseason for Speights and the Warriors, who start training camp a week from Tuesday.
Three months and three days have passed since the Warriors finished off the Cavaliers for the franchise’s first NBA title in 40 years, and soon begins Golden State’s attempt to win a second in a row. It’s an accomplishment that’s happened so often during the lifetime of the 28-year-old Speights, a period in which 10 NBA champions were the same team that had won the year before, that it almost seems like a rite of passage for the truly elite. Speights doesn’t quite see it that way.
“No, we’re already in a different class, so repeating would just be a bonus,” he told Hoops Rumors, “but hopefully we get another one.”
The 6’10” center/forward nonetheless made it clear as he spoke during today’s event that the team is hungry to add to its trophy collection, and this season, Speights has extra motivation. The three-year, $11MM contract that he signed with the Warriors in 2013 expires at season’s end, and he’s set to hit free agency just as the salary cap is projected to catapult from its present $70MM to $89MM. The Andy Miller client nonetheless insists that he won’t change the way he plays just because it’s a contract year, and that he isn’t focused on the strength of next summer’s market for him.
“I really don’t worry about things I can’t control,” Speights said. “As long as I come into camp, as long as I start the season off good, everything will be all right. So, I’m just focused on the things I can control.”
The Warriors have so far paid to keep their talented team together. They gave Draymond Green a new five-year, $82MM deal in restricted free agency this summer, and rewarded Leandro Barbosa with a one-year, $2.5MM deal after he spent last season making the minimum. They also cast luxury tax concerns aside to pick up their $3.185MM team option on Speights, who made the most of his 15.9 minutes per game this past season. He averaged 10.4 points and 4.3 rebounds per contest, numbers that extrapolate to 23.6 points and 9.7 boards per 36 minutes.
Speights applauded the front office’s efforts to maintain continuity and chemistry, and he also has a positive impression of the team’s most prominent newcomer. Jason Thompson arrives after a series of July trades in which the Warriors shipped out David Lee for Gerald Wallace and flipped Wallace for Thompson, while Thompson went from the Kings to the Sixers and finally to the champs.
“He’s a good player. He’s been in the league. He’s going on his eighth year. He played with Sacramento. He’s going to come to our team and bring us something we need, or something that somebody else can’t bring,” Speights said of Thompson. “So, hopefully he comes in and contributes and that’ll be the role with him.”
Coach Steve Kerr envisions Thompson fitting in somewhere amid a frontcourt that boasts Green, Andrew Bogut, Festus Ezeli and James Michael McAdoo in addition to Thompson and Speights. The role that Lee played last season is “up for grabs,” as Kerr recently told Tim Kawakami of the Bay Area News Group. Thus, Speights, whose minutes in the playoffs this spring were curtailed by a right calf strain, would appear to have a chance to inherit some more playing time. Still, just as with his looming free agency, he won’t focus on decisions that rest in the hands of others.
“Like I said, I don’t know. I just got to worry about things I can control,” Speights said. “I don’t know what my role’s going to be. I’m just going to go into training camp and be the best player I can be, and hopefully, I have a role. So, I’m looking forward to training camp.”
The 16th overall pick from the 2008 draft is a veteran of seven NBA seasons, but he nonetheless made it clear that he’s eager to learn more and improve himself. Not long from now, he’ll learn what it’s like to defend a title, and soon after that, just how much championship experience is worth at the bargaining table.
2015 NBA Draft Grades: Pacific Division
The 2015 NBA Draft is squarely in the rearview and a number of draftees have already provided a taste of what is to come with their summer league play. I held off on my grades until now because I wanted a better context in which to evaluate each team’s selections, with free agency and summer league providing greater perspective. Sometimes, selecting the best available player isn’t the best course of action and it is wiser to nab a player who fits a clear need, which should always be considered when rating how each front office fared in the draft. I’ve already run down my thoughts on the Atlantic, Central, and Southeast Divisions, and next up is a look at the Pacific Division:
Golden State Warriors
Team Needs: Frontcourt depth.
Draft Picks:
- No. 30 Overall — Kevon Looney, PF, UCLA
The Warriors didn’t have many needs entering this year’s NBA Draft, which is usually the case with teams that win an NBA title and aren’t hit with a wave of free agent defections afterwards. This allowed Golden State to take a gamble on Looney with the final selection of the first round. The forward out of UCLA is unlikely to contribute much, if anything, during the 2015/16 campaign, courtesy of a hip surgery in August that is expected to keep him out of action for four to six months. However, this isn’t a huge blow to the team, since Looney wasn’t likely to see much playing time anyway this season on a stacked Warriors squad.
Missing training camp and most, if not all, of the 2015/16 season certainly won’t help speed Looney’s development along, but the Warriors can certainly afford to be patient with the young player. As a freshman at UCLA, the 19-year-old averaged 11.6 points, 9.2 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.3 steals in 30.9 minutes per night, earning Second Team All-Pac-12 and Pac-12 All-Freshman Team honors along the way.
Questions still exist about Looney’s NBA position, as he is saddled with the dreaded tweener label. He doesn’t quite shoot well enough to be a small forward on a full-time basis, and he’ll need to add bulk to his 220 pound frame if he wants to survive prolonged exposure to some of the league’s bigger, stronger power forwards in the paint. But all quibbles aside, Golden State landed a talented young player with a tantalizing upside using the last pick of the first round. The team will probably just have to wait a couple of seasons before its investment in Looney will pay off.
Overall Draft Grade: B. It’s difficult to find fault in the NBA champs landing a player who possesses lottery-level talent at the bottom of the first round. It’s a solid gamble by GM Bob Myers, though it’s unclear what position Looney is best suited for in the league.
Los Angeles Clippers
Team Needs: Depth at center.
Draft Picks:
- No. 56 Overall — Branden Dawson, F, Michigan State*
*Acquired from the Pelicans in exchange for cash.
The Clippers were without a first-round pick this year because their pick went to Boston as compensation for the hiring of Doc Rivers. The Celtics used that selection, No. 28 overall, to nab long-range bomber R.J. Hunter out of Georgia State. It’s difficult to make a case that Rivers wasn’t worth the sacrifice, especially given how he held the Clippers organization together amid the Donald Sterling scandal. It can also be argued that not having a first-rounder helped the franchise in a way, seeing as how it didn’t need to hand out another fully guaranteed deal, a benefit because the Clippers are nearly $11MM into luxury tax territory.
The franchise was also without a second-round pick, though Rivers was able to purchase one from New Orleans. While there weren’t many alternatives still left on the board at No. 56, I’d argue that the team could have saved its money and not missed a beat. Dawson is an excellent athlete who is a strong rebounder, though he’s too short at 6’7″, or 6’5″ without shoes, to be an effective power forward in the NBA. The former Michigan State Spartan isn’t nearly a good enough shooter to play the three, which will certainly limit his usefulness. Dawson is more than likely ticketed for the D-League or overseas, and it would be quite a surprise if he makes an impact in the league anytime soon.
Overall Draft Grade: B-. I bumped up the Clippers’ grade from a C- because of Doc Rivers, who is arguably more valuable than any player the team would have nabbed at No. 28 overall. But the addition of Dawson feels unnecessary given the team’s frontcourt depth, as well as his size and offensive limitations.
Los Angeles Lakers
Team Needs: Talent and depth at every position.
Draft Picks:
- No. 2 Overall — D’Angelo Russell, G, Ohio State
- No. 27 Overall — Larry Nance Jr., PF, Wyoming
- No. 34 Overall — Anthony Brown, SF, Stanford
The Lakers entered this draft with needs at virtually every spot on the court. The team had to make a choice between big man Jahlil Okafor, who is regarded as the best offensive center in the entire draft class, and Ohio State playmaker D’Angelo Russell, who rocketed up draft boards as the 2014/15 season progressed. It was a tough call, and it will be a few seasons before we’ll know if the Lakers made the correct choice.
Still, Nabbing a point guard makes sense, especially in today’s backcourt-driven NBA. Russell is a fantastic passer and defender who can also shoot the lights out when he’s on. But he’s extremely raw, and he did not fare that well in summer league play. Lakers fans believing he’ll be a savior this season should dial down those expectations quite a bit. Russell has star potential, though it will likely be a rough ride at first. It’s easy to make an argument that the team should have taken Okafor, especially given the lack of true centers making their way into the NBA nowadays, but I can’t fault the Lakers for taking a chance on Russell, who is one of my favorite players in this year’s crop of draftees.
The selection of Nance at No. 27 was a surprise, and a bit of a head-scratcher given the team’s many needs. Nance is an intriguing player, thanks to his high motor, impressive wingspan and NBA-ready frame, but he’s not a good enough outside shooter or post player to make an impact on offense. A number of other players who were still available at No. 27 appear to have higher upsides and more useful skills than Nance does, and that’s why I’m down on the Lakers making this pick.
I’m more enthusiastic about the selection of Brown at No. 34 overall. While the former Stanford wing lacks elite athleticism, he has a high basketball IQ, and he’s a solid outside shooter. Brown is unlikely ever to be a starter in the NBA, but he has the makings of a solid future rotation player. He’ll need to log some serious time in the D-League to aid his development, however.
Overall Draft Grade: B+. The Lakers may regret passing on Okafor, but Russell is an intriguing, exciting young prospect who should give the fanbase hope for a better tomorrow. I’m not sold on the selection of Nance, especially given some of the players still available at that draft slot.
Phoenix Suns
Team Needs: Outside shooting, rim protector, backcourt depth.
Draft Picks:
- No. 13 Overall — Devin Booker, SG, Kentucky
The Suns are still in the process of picking up the pieces from their failed multiple point guard experiment, and the team’s roster is in a state of flux. One glaring hole the team has is the lack of a wing who can stretch the floor and make other teams pay from beyond the arc on a nightly basis. Well, Phoenix certainly did its best to address that need in this year’s draft, landing Kentucky freshman Devin Booker at No. 13 overall. I’m still a bit surprised that Booker slipped past the Hornets at No. 9 overall, seeing as Charlotte also needs shooters, and Booker is arguably the best long-range bomber in this year’s draft class.
Booker is a smart player who has nearly perfect mechanics on his jump shot, and he moves extremely well without the ball. The question mark with Booker is his lack of elite athleticism and quickness. That’s not to say that he’s a lumbering player, but he may have some difficulty guarding some of the more explosive wings in the league, and I’m not sold that he’ll be able to create his own shot off the dribble consistently. Still, he should quickly evolve into one of the better spot-up shooters in the league.
My only issue with the Suns selecting Booker is that Kelly Oubre, who is a superior defender and athlete, was still available at No. 13. Oubre isn’t in Booker’s class as a shooter, but his all-around game is more enticing, and I believe that Oubre has a much higher upside than Booker does overall.
Overall Draft Grade: B+. Phoenix lands the best shooter in the draft, though minor concerns exist regarding Booker’s speed and athleticism. The Suns definitely addressed one of their primary needs, and it’s hard to take them to task for it. Overall, this is a very solid pick for Ryan McDonough.
Sacramento Kings
Team Needs: Stretch four, rim protector, outside shooting.
Draft Picks:
- No. 6 Overall — Willie Cauley-Stein, C, Kentucky
The Kings hope that they solved one of their most pressing needs by nabbing Cauley-Stein with the sixth overall pick. Sacramento has been looking to pair center DeMarcus Cousins with a rim-protecting big for the last two seasons, and Cauley-Stein was the best one available in this year’s draft. Cauley-Stein is perhaps the most NBA-ready player in the entire draft, and I’d be surprised if he is not starting from day one. Concerns exist about his offensive skills, which mainly consist of cashing in on lobs and transition buckets at this stage. But he’s an excellent athlete and a fantastic defender who reminds me quite a bit of Tyson Chandler. It took Chandler a few seasons in the league to become a solid player, and I expect the same for Cauley-Stein, who’s nonetheless almost assuredly a player who will have a long, productive NBA career if he remains healthy.
I have two potential concerns regarding this pick, though. First, if Rondo is not the long-term answer at point guard, Sacramento may end up kicking itself for passing on Emmanuel Mudiay, who went to the Nuggets at pick No. 7. Mudiay is a mystery at this point, but he has the physical tools and ability to become a major star in the NBA. My second concern is how Cauley-Stein, who arrives with some question marks regarding his attitude and love for the game, will fit in with what could be an extremely volatile locker room in Sacramento this season. If things turn toxic there, it will be interesting to see how Cauley-Stein reacts and if it sets back his development.
Overall Draft Grade: A-. Sacramento lands one of the best defenders in the draft, as well as fills one of its most glaring needs. Hopefully, the team won’t come to rue the day it passed on Mudiay to land Cauley-Stein.
Harrison Barnes Changes Agents
FRIDAY, 3:03pm: Barnes has hired Jeff Schwartz of Excel Sports Management, a source tells Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link). Schwartz, who recently picked up LaMarcus Aldridge and Joe Johnson as new clients, also represents Warriors Shaun Livingston and Leandro Barbosa.
THURSDAY, 9:47am: Harrison Barnes has parted ways with agent Jeff Wechsler of 24/7 Sports Management, reports Chris Haynes of the Northeast Ohio Media Group and the Cleveland Plain Dealer (Twitter link). The rookie scale extension deadline of November 2nd looms just a month and a half away, and Golden State has been reportedly been seeking a deal with him and fellow extension-eligible Festus Ezeli.
Wechsler negotiated a five-year max extension for Kyrie Irving, his only other current NBA client, in July 2014. Barnes has reportedly shared interest with the Warriors in reaching a deal on an extension of his own, though it would be difficult for him to score the max, since he averaged just 10.1 points per game last season. Grantland’s Zach Lowe recently estimated that Barnes would end up with a deal between the four years and $58MM that DeMarre Carroll landed from the Raptors this summer and the projected $20.4MM max for players with Barnes’ level of experience. Tim Kawakami of the Bay Area News Group suggested salaries of $14MM a year, though he and TNT’s David Aldridge figured that Wechsler would start negotiations with an asking price of at least $15MM annually. I reasoned that salaries of $16-18MM would make sense for both sides when I looked in-depth at the extension candidacy of the former seventh overall pick.
New coach Steve Kerr reinserted Barnes into the starting lineup last season, a move that helped spark a 16-win improvement and a run to the franchise’s first NBA title in 40 years. The Warriors have reached extensions with Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Andrew Bogut in recent years, so precedent exists for them to do the same with Barnes. The timing of his change of representation is odd, though it’s unclear what the impetus for the decision is. It’s also not immediately clear whom Barnes will hire to represent him going forward. He nonetheless made it clear in July that he envisions staying with the Warriors for the long haul, as Diamond Leung of the Bay Area News Group reported at the time.
“I mean, we just won a championship,” Barnes said. “Of course I’d love to keep this group together for many years to come, you know what I’m saying? So that’s obvious.”