NBA Finals free agents the Nets should and shouldn’t target
Matt Barnes
Matt Barnes joined the Warriors in the middle of the season. His signing was a direct result of Durant’s leg injury that cost the former MVP 19 games. His deal is up after the finals conclude.
Barnes was supposed to be an impact signing for the Kings last offseason. He never quite clicked with Sacramento. He shot under 40 percent from the field in 54 games with the Kings. In those 54 games he also shot 32 percent from deep with the team in 25 minutes. Barnes was supposed to be a game-changing defensive presence for a team that wanted to make the playoffs.
Instead the team fizzled out and embraced a youth movement. DeMarcus Cousins was traded to the New Orleans Pelicans and Barnes was one of many casualties of the post-Cousins trade rebuild.
A minimum deal for Barnes is a great value. The 13-year veteran is not the athlete he once was, but is still capable of harassing opposing wings. He can even body up many NBA power forwards in this era of small ball.
The Nets would not be able to land Barnes at the veteran’s minimum though. Barnes is 37 and isn’t likely to want to be a part of a rebuilding situation. He probably wants to end his career chasing rings with a contender.
If he thinks he could do that somewhere other than Golden State, there aren’t many options. The Nets certainly aren’t one of them.
Barnes can make money this summer if he has a good NBA Finals showing. He was able to net a deal worth $12 million over two years last year from Sacramento. Sean Marks, however, knows not to spend lavishly on players who won’t move the needle much. The Nets and Barnes won’t be a match this summer.