Warriors To Rescind Harrison Barnes’ QO
The Warriors are set to renounce restricted free agent forward Harrison Barnes, now that Kevin Durant is headed to the Bay Area, reports ESPN’s Marc Stein (Twitter link). Withdrawing their qualifying offer to Barnes would remove his $9,683,495 cap hold from the Warriors’ books, and would make Barnes an unrestricted free agent. We heard earlier today that Golden State will do the same for Festus Ezeli, making him a UFA as well.
[RELATED: Kevin Durant to sign with Warriors]
The Mavericks had been expected to put a four-year, maximum-salary offer sheet for Barnes when the July moratorium comes to an end, and Dallas remains “full steam ahead” on its plans to offer Barnes that contract, according to Stein. Now that he won’t be a restricted free agent, Barnes will be free to sign with the Mavs outright, rather than waiting to see if Golden State would match an offer sheet.
There hasn’t been confirmation yet that Barnes has formally agreed to terms with the Mavericks, so it’s possible that another team – perhaps one that missed out on Durant – that appeals more to Barnes could swoop in to match Dallas’ offer. But it looks for now as if the former seventh overall pick will probably sign with the Mavs later this week.
The Mavericks have also emerged as a strong potential trade destination for Andrew Bogut, per Stein (Twitter links). Golden State will almost certainly have to move Bogut to accommodate Durant’s new deal, and the team would like to send the veteran center to a destination he likes, according to Stein, who adds that Barnes and Bogut are good friends.
One NBA team executive tells Sam Amico of Amico Hoops (Twitter link) that his club previously had interest in Bogut, but is no longer interested in making a trade. “I’m not helping [the Warriors],” the exec said. While that’s a noble stance, there figures to be at least one team willing to acquire Bogut — the trade cost figures to be cheap, and Bogut’s salary isn’t exorbitant compared to what some free agent centers will sign for this week.
Eastern Notes: Wizards, Gortat, Sixers, Knicks
As the second day of NBA free agency nears an end, let’s check in on a few items from around the Eastern Conference…
- There are no indications at this point that the Wizards will explore trading Marcin Gortat after reaching an agreement to sign free agent center Ian Mahinmi to a four-year deal today, league sources tell J. Michael of CSNMidAtlantic.com (Twitter link).
- With the Mavericks set to offer a four-year, maximum-salary deal to Harrison Barnes, the Sixers‘ pursuit of the RFA forward may soon end, writes Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. As Pompey observes, even if the 76ers put the same offer on the table, Barnes is likely to choose Dallas over Philadelphia. Of course, if they don’t land Kevin Durant, the Warriors may match any offer sheet for Barnes, regardless of which team it comes from.
- The Knicks struck a four-year deal with Courtney Lee on Saturday, and according to Marc Berman of The New York Post, new Knick Joakim Noah played a key role in recruiting the free agent shooting guard. “Noah has been talking to him since [Friday], and Courtney decided he wanted to be with the Knicks and they found common ground [in terms of salary],” the source said.
- Like Noah, Carmelo Anthony has been involved in the Knicks‘ recruiting offers and has been in touch this week with the team’s front office, according to Ian Begley of ESPN.com, who notes that Anthony’s involvement is a sign that he’s pleased with the direction of the franchise.
Mavs Want To Ink Harrison Barnes To Max Deal
The Mavericks intend to sign Warriors restricted free agent Harrison Barnes to a four-year max offer sheet on July 7th, Marc Stein of ESPN.com reports. The Warriors can match an offer to Barnes, of course, and Stein adds that the Mavs understand Barnes will likely only be available to them if the Warriors land Kevin Durant.
[RELATED: Warriors expected to retain Barnes if they don’t sign Durant]
The Warriors would have three days to match any offer sheet Barnes signs. Barnes, 24, has been with the Warriors since the team drafted him in 2012. Barnes turned down a reported extension totaling $64MM before the 2015/16 season, as Stein points out in a full story. He then had his best campaign as a pro, averaging 11.7 points and 4.9 rebounds per game in 66 games.
While Barnes can be inconsistent, he is one of the league’s best three-point shooters and has been a key part of the Warriors’ success the past two seasons. His versatility, age and athleticism makes him too intriguing for the Mavs to pass up, Stein writes.
Warriors Expected To Retain Barnes If Durant Signs Elsewhere
Kevin Durant is the Warriors’ Plan A in free agency this offseason, and the team will get an opportunity to make its pitch to him on Friday in The Hamptons. However, if Durant ultimately heads back to the Thunder or signs with another rival suitor, the Warriors are expected to focus on bringing back restricted free agent Harrison Barnes.
Adrian Wojnarowski reported as much during The Vertical’s free agency show late on Thursday night (link via RealGM.com), suggesting that the Warriors will likely match any offer sheet Barnes signs with another club. Even if the young forward doesn’t ultimately end up in the team’s long-term plans, Golden State recognizes that his contract would be tradeable, and the club would be able to go over the cap to lock him up.
The 76ers are said to have serious interest in Barnes, and could emerge as the Warriors’ most significant competitor for the 24-year-old, who ranked 12th on our list of this year’s top 50 free agents.
There has been speculation that Barnes will receive a maximum-salary offer sheet, or something very close to it, which would be an awfully steep price to pay for a player who has never averaged more than 11.7 points per game in a season and has struggled in some critical postseason moments. Still, Philadelphia has a huge amount of cap room and could easily afford such a deal, so if the Sixers do pursue Barnes, I’d expect them to make a max offer to put the pressure on Golden State.
Qualifying Offers: Sullinger, Daniels, Barnes
If an NBA team wishes to ensure a player who is eligible for restricted free agency actually becomes one, that team must issue a qualifying offer before the new league year begins on July 1st. Clubs are gradually making those qualifying-offer decisions official, with the latest round of offers noted below:
- The Warriors submitted qualifying offers to Harrison Barnes ($5,194,227) and Festus Ezeli ($3,013,123), making both restricted free agents, the team announced via press release.
- The Kings have submitted a qualifying offer for combo guard Seth Curry, Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee relays (via Twitter). Curry’s offer is worth $1,215,696, with the 25-year-old having earned $947,276 for his 44 appearances this past season.
- The Celtics submitted qualifying offers to frontcourt mates Jared Sullinger and Tyler Zeller, Steve Bulpett of The Boston Herald tweets. Sullinger’s offer is worth $4,433,683, while Zeller’s comes in at $3,695,169.
- The Hornets officially announced today that a qualifying offer worth $1,215,696 was submitted for shooting guard Troy Daniels, making him a restricted free agent.
- The Raptors submitted a qualifying offer to Nando De Colo in order to retain his rights, Doug Smith of The Toronto Star tweets. De Colo isn’t likely headed stateside anytime soon, having signed a three-year contract extension with CSKA Moscow earlier this month. The cap hold for the 29-year-old is $1,901,900.
- The Grizzlies submitted a qualifying offer to guard Nick Calathes, as the RealGM transactions log shows. The 27-year-old, who is under contract from the Greek club Panathinaikos, last played in the NBA during the 2014/15 campaign. The move by Memphis was merely a procedural one in order to retain Calathes’ rights.
- The Nets have submitted a qualifying offer worth $1,180,431 to Markel Brown, making him a restricted free agent, Zach Lowe of ESPN.com tweets. Brooklyn declined to submit a qualifying offer worth $1,215,696 to Willie Reed, making him an unrestricted free agent, Michael Scotto of Sheridan Hoops tweets.
- The Warriors declined to submit a qualifying offer worth $1,180,431 to James McAdoo and the player will now become an unrestricted free agent this offseason, Chris Haynes of The Northeast Ohio Media Group tweets. The team also passed on submitting a qualifying offer worth $1,215,696 to Ian Clark, Rusty Simmons of The San Francisco Chronicle tweets.
- The Pelicans won’t tender a qualifying to James Ennis ($1,180,431), but remain interested in re-signing him if the price were reasonable, Scott Kushner of The Advocate tweets.
- The Sixers declined to submit a qualifying offer to Isaiah Canaan ($1,215,696), making him an unrestricted free agent, Chris Haynes of The Northeast Ohio Media Group tweets.
Sixers Have Serious Interest In Harrison Barnes
The Sixers intend to be “serious suitors” for Harrison Barnes when free agency opens later this week, reports ESPN’s Marc Stein (via Twitter). While Barnes has yet to formally receive a qualifying offer from the Warriors, that QO is likely imminent, and will make him a restricted free agent.
Barnes, 24, has been a solid rotational piece for the Warriors since being selected seventh overall in the 2012 draft, shooting 37.6% on three-pointers and averaging double-digits in points over the course of his four-year career. However, he was inconsistent in the playoffs, no-showing in some key games down the stretch for Golden State. In the NBA Finals, Barnes shot just 35.2% from the floor, including 31.0% from three-point range, and many of those attempts were uncontested.
There has been speculation that Barnes will receive a maximum-salary offer sheet, or something very close to it, in free agency, which would be an awfully steep price to pay for a player who has never averaged more than 11.7 points per game in a season and has struggled in critical postseason moments.
Still, a rival suitor could make the case that Barnes’ evolution as a scorer has been limited in Golden State by the presence of Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, arguing that a change of scenery could boost his offensive numbers. The Sixers also have no shortage of cap room. Before taking into account cap holds for first-round picks, Philadelphia has less than $25MM in guaranteed salary on its books for 2016/17. Most of the Sixers’ core pieces won’t get expensive for a few more years, so it may not hurt them to overpay Barnes — the team needs to reach the salary floor somehow.
As for the Warriors, they’ll have the opportunity to match any offer sheet for Barnes, but the club has been vocal about aggressively pursuing upgrades to its roster this offseason. The UNC product will be expendable if the Dubs can land Kevin Durant in free agency, and even if that doesn’t happen, Golden State may choose to go in a different direction rather than matching a huge rival offer for Barnes.
USA Basketball Finalizes 2016 Olympic Roster
USA Basketball has finalized its 12-man roster for this summer’s Olympic games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, as Brian Mahoney of The Associated Press details. Team USA will head into the 2016 Olympics looking to win its third straight Gold medal in basketball. Barring any injuries or other unforeseen circumstances, the following 12 players will be representing America in Brazil this summer:
- Carmelo Anthony, F
- Harrison Barnes, F
- Jimmy Butler, G/F
- DeMarcus Cousins, C
- DeMar DeRozan, G
- Kevin Durant, F
- Paul George, F
- Draymond Green, F/C
- Kyrie Irving, G
- DeAndre Jordan, C
- Kyle Lowry, G
- Klay Thompson, G
While Team USA’s roster features a bevy of All-Stars, former Olympians, and an MVP winner, many notable players declined invitations to play in Rio this summer. LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Chris Paul, Russell Westbrook, and James Harden are among those who withdrew from consideration.
And-Ones: Olympics, Griffin, Messina, Vesely
Kyrie Irving and Harrison Barnes will fill the last two spots on the U.S. Olympic basketball team, writes Brian Mahoney of The Associated Press. The roster will be formally announced Monday in New York. Ten players committed earlier, but Mahoney reports that openings were left for Irving and LeBron James, who both asked for more time to decide after playing in the NBA Finals, which ended Sunday. James opted not to make the trip to Rio de Janeiro.
Barnes joins Warriors teammates Klay Thompson and Draymond Green on the roster, along with Kevin Durant, Carmelo Anthony, Kyle Lowry, DeMar DeRozan, Paul George, DeMarcus Cousins, Jimmy Butler and DeAndre Jordan.
There’s more news tonight from around the basketball world:
- The State of Florida has dropped first-degree attempted murder charges against former D-League All-Star Eric Griffin, according to D-League Digest. Griffin last played in the D-League in 2014/15, when he was a third-team all-league selection and a second-team all-defensive choice. He played in Dubai this season and may be ready for a shot at the NBA now that his legal case has been resolved.
- Despite rumors, Spurs assistant coach Ettore Messina won’t be leaving to take a job in Spain, tweets international journalist David Pick. “I have no contact with Barcelona,” Messina said. “I’m a happy Spur.”
- Several NBA teams are interested in former lottery pick Jan Vesely, according to Sportando. The Mavericks, Nets and Pelicans are the teams listed as suitors for Vesely, who was selected sixth overall by the Wizards in the 2011 draft. Vesely played for Fenerbahce in Turkey this season and is a free agent. He is expected to get offers in the range of $30MM over three years.
- Greek star Giannis Bourousis is ready to take a shot at the NBA, reports Aris Barkas of Eurohoops. “I would go to any NBA team,” said the 32-year-old seven-footer. “I just want to be there, after 14 years in Euroleague.”
Warriors Eyeing Horford, Noah, Batum, Others
With free agency around the corner, the Warriors are prepared to make a run at Kevin Durant, the top player on the market. However, the team has plenty of alternate targets lined up in the event that Durant isn’t interested in coming to Golden State.
Sources tell Marcus Thompson II of The Bay Area News Group that the Warriors are eyeing Al Horford, Joakim Noah, and Hassan Whiteside as possible frontcourt additions. At small forward, Nicolas Batum and Evan Turner are among the potential targets Golden State is looking at, suggesting that Durant isn’t the only player that would make the club consider replacing pending free agent Harrison Barnes.
As I discussed when I previewed the Warriors’ offseason earlier this week, the team won’t be shy about upgrading the roster via free agency or trades, having vowed to be aggressive this summer. Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green aren’t going anywhere, but anyone else on the roster may be expendable for the right incoming piece, and none of Golden State’s eight free agents – including Barnes and Festus Ezeli – are locks to return.
If the team does look to make a big splash, it will have to take into account Curry’s eventual raise. Even with the salary cap on the rise, the Warriors’ roster would start to get expensive if the team signs a max free agent this summer and inks Curry to a max extension a year from now. That scenario could mean paying more than $90MM combined to Curry, Thompson, Green, and a fourth player in 2017/18, with annual raises to follow.
Still, Warriors ownership has exhibited a willingness to spend into tax territory, so they aren’t about to suddenly start playing it safe now. Golden State will certainly be a team to watch when the free agent recruiting period officially gets underway a week from today.
Pacific Notes: Russell, Kennedy, Kings
Lakers 2015 lottery pick D’Angelo Russell has heard the trade rumors connected to himself but isn’t concerned, especially after GM Mitch Kupchak reached out to re-assure him the team has faith in his abilities, Mark Medina of The Orange County Register relays. “You hear trade talks,” Russell said. “Then you get a text from your GM saying he trusts your work ethic and don’t worry about it.”
The young playmaker has already been picking new coach Luke Walton‘s brain about how Warriors star Stephen Curry was able to develop his game to the level it is now, Medina adds. “Please don’t take this the wrong way,” Russell said. “He didn’t compare me to Steph. But I asked him a lot about Steph. I asked him a lot of Steph questions about how he got to this point.”
Here’s more news and notes from the Pacific Division:
- Former SMU power forward Markus Kennedy worked out for the Lakers today, Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders relays (via Twitter). Kennedy is the No. 77 overall senior in this year’s draft according to Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress.
- The Warriors should place a high priority on re-signing restricted free agents Festus Ezeli and Harrison Barnes, Bobby Marks of The Vertical opines in his offseason primer for the franchise. The scribe cites the team’s lack of cap flexibility and the potential for the duo to turn into high-value trade assets down the line as reasons why.
- The Kings hold the No. 8 overall pick in this year’s draft, yet none of the players projected to be lottery selections worked out for the team, notes Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee. The highest-regarded prospect who worked out was former Vanderbilt guard Wade Baldwin, who is a projected mid-first round pick, Jones adds. The team downplayed the significance of pre-draft workouts, with assistant GM Ken Catanella saying, “It’s important, but I would always say we’re looking at a guy’s body of work. It is a small piece, but you still want to, if you haven’t had the opportunity to interview a player at the combine perhaps, or you haven’t had the opportunity to see a guy live, it never hurts. But again, you take the available information you have, and you make the most of it.”