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The trade for veteran forward Harrison Barnes continues a San Antonio Spurs trend. They're trying to have it both ways. And so far this NBA off-season, the Spurs are doing a pretty good job.
In a concerted effort to keep an eye on the future as they build around generational talent Victor Wembanyama, the organization hasn't sacrificed bad long-term contracts in order to win next season. By acquiring Barnes and an unprotected pick swap in the 2031 draft in a three-way trade with the Sacramento Kings and Chicago Bulls that centered on DeMar DeRozan, the Spurs came out ahead.
What the move means for Spurs
For essentially nothing, San Antonio gets a player who, in playing all 82 games last season, shot more than 47% from the field and almost 39% from three-point range. Barnes averaged 12.2 points and three rebounds per game in helping Sacramento to the second contest of the play-in tournament. Over the last two years, the 12-year forward has been instrumental in the Kings rise to Western Conference playoff contenders, including a seven-game battle vs. the then defending champion Golden State Warriors in the first round of the 2023 postseason.
Speaking of Golden State, that's where Barnes made his name. As a rookie in the 2013 playoffs, he almost doubled his points per night to 16.1 through the 12-game run. It's a stretch that saw the Warriors push a Western champion Spurs squad to six games in the second round.
Two years later, the North Carolina product helped the Warriors to a championship that would start a dynastic run. In 2016, he signed with the Dallas Mavericks as Golden State signed Kevin Durant. A little more than two and a half seasons in Dallas led to the trade that landed him in California's capital city.
San Antonio adds that kind of a steady veteran, a career 14 points per game scorer – after having already bought in future Hall-of-Famer Chris Paul – to support Wembanyama as the reigning Rookie of the Year looks to ascend toward what many expect will prove a fantastic career. It also raises the IQ of a team that ranked as the league's youngest last season.
In addition, the Spurs receive yet another first round pick. They could have as many as four in total next next year, dependent on protections; two selections in each of 2026 and '27; two more in 2028 dependent on conditions; two more in 2030 dependent on clauses; and now three in 2031 when you take into account the unprotected pick in this transaction, the unprotected pick they dealt for in the Rob Dillingham trade and their own.
In order to take on Barnes' salary, the Spurs will have to make some moves to make it work. Contracts for Julian Champagnie and Charles Bassey aren't guaranteed while Cedi Osman is a free agent, though the team will have roster spots open with exceptions to fill out the roster.
How Spurs beat Kings, Bulls
Though Sacramento adds a weapon like DeMar DeRozan in order to keep up in the West, a question remains about how much of a difference he'll make next to All-Star guard De'Aaron Fox, All-Star center Domantas Sabonis and Keegan Murray. Is that core good enough to contend with the Dallas Mavericks, Minnesota Timberwolves, Oklahoma City Thunder, Denver Nuggets and, even, aging Phoenix Suns and Los Angeles squads? It's fair to ask.
The Bulls are in free fall after missing the playoffs again with a core that included DeRozan and Zach LaVine. In looking for a trade partner for LaVine, Chicago is in rebuild mode and received just a pair of second round picks in the DeRozan trade.
While they likely won't sport a better record than Sacramento this season, the Spurs might be closer to the Kings than Sacramento is to the best in the NBA – without avoiding mortgaging their future in San Antonio.
