Report: “Significant Offer” Needed To Pry Barnes From Kings
Mar 15, 2021, 10:12 AM | Updated: 10:12 am
(Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports)
(Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports)
It’s going to be an interesting week-plus of rumors and developments
For those saying that a Harrison Barnes trade is a sure thing, it might be time to pump the brakes.
Monday morning brought two new updates from differing sides of the negotiation table, with Sam Amick and Shams Charania of The Athletic both giving updates to the ongoing Harrison Barnes trade rumor ‘merry go round’.
Just last week, reports surfaced that the Boston Celtics were very interested in Sacramento Kings forward Harrison Barnes, needing a scoring forward to join a lineup that features Kemba Walker, Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum.
Shortly after the reports of Boston’s interest surfaced, Amick reported that the Kings had gone into ‘seller mode’ after a rough stretch that saw the team lose 10 of 11 games.
Amick’s report of Sacramento becoming sellers came just days after former Celtics forward and current NBC Sports Boston analyst Brian Scalabrine stated that a Barnes trade was going to be coveted by the Celtics.
A young player–such as rookie forward Aaron Nesmith or second-year shooting guard Romeo Langford–along with a first-round pick was floated around the Twittersphere as the possible offer needed to pry Barnes from the Kings.
Barnes, 28, is currently enjoying his best statistical season of his nine-year career.
The veteran forward is currently averaging 16.7 points per game on 49-percent shooting from the field and 37-percent from three-point range while also posting career-high per game averages of rebounds (6.2), assists (3.5) and steals (0.8).
Due to his incredible play, professionalism in the locker room and favorable contract (declines by $2 million in each of the final two years), it seems that Sacramento is beginning to change its course on moving Barnes.
On Monday morning, Amick stated that it will take a “significant offer to pry him away” from the Kings.
A combination of late first-round draft picks and young players like the ones wearing green in Boston, it appears, likely wouldn’t be enough to get it done. The Kings are clearly still pondering the possibility of adding the kind of impact piece that they believe would put them in the playoff mix.
Sam Amick of The Athletic
With Sacramento still technically in the hunt for the Western Conference 10th seed (3.5 games behind Memphis), it appears that first-year general manager Monte McNair could be looking to make an upgrade rather than a subtraction down the stretch.
The Kings are currently on a six-game road trip that runs through March 23rd–just 48 hours before the NBA trade deadline.
Almost in unison with Amick’s Monday morning report, Shams Charania–also of The Athletic–shared that Boston is beginning to eye other candidates to fill the scoring forward slot that they originally envisioned Barnes in.
Sharania stated that Boston is eyeing San Antonio Spurs forward LaMarcus Aldridge and Atlanta Hawks forward John Collins as the deadline approaches.
It’s possible that Boston could acquire Aldridge ($24 million remaining on deal) with their $28.5 million trade exception in a low-risk move instead of moving young talent or parting with draft compensation.
Aldridge is currently being held out of play until a trade or buyout is completed.
On the Collins front, it’s possible that Boston would be more open to parting with young talent and future draft picks for a younger, controllable player. The 23-year-old will hit restricted free-agency following this season unless he accepts the one-year, $5.89 million qualifying offer.
Of course, as well all know about trade rumors, is that there are plenty of stretched truths and smokescreens.
Both Sacramento and Boston could be bluffing in relaying their latests interests to the media. One thing we do know is that the truth will come out on or before the March 25th deadline.
As of now, the Kings fan base is pretty split on what they expect to happen in the coming days.
What do you think will happen? Will Harrison Barnes be in a Kings uniform when the dust clears on deadline day?
