Harrison Barnes was traded from the Dallas Mavericks to the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday night, and he already has playoff aspirations with his new team.
The Kings, who have been one of the most surprising teams in the league this season, are in the Western Conference playoff hunt, and Barnes says that Sacramento is not only trying to make the postseason, but that it is gunning for the seventh seed:
Harrison Barnes seems genuinely happy to be with the Kings and says the team is shooting for the seventh spot in the playoffs.
— Marc J. Spears (@MarcJSpears) February 8, 2019
That would mean the Kings would have to finish ahead of the likes of LeBron James' Los Angeles Lakers, which could be a tall task given that James is now back on the floor after sitting for over a month with a groin injury.
In 49 games with the Mavericks this season, Barnes averaged 17.7 points and 4.2 rebounds over 32.3 minutes per game while shooting 40.4 percent from the floor, 38.9 percent from three-point range and 83.3 percent from the free-throw line.
Barnes signed a four-year, $94 million contract with Dallas during the summer of 2016 and has a player option for next season.
Still, with the Kings not having a first-round draft pick this season, there really is no reason why they shouldn't be aiming for a playoff spot, and acquiring Barnes may help with that.
Barnes certainly has playoff experience, as he spent the first four years of his NBA career with the Golden State Warriors, reaching the finals in back-to-back years in 2015 and 2016 and winning a championship in the former season.
However, with the Warriors landing Kevin Durant during the summer of 2016, Barnes was essentially a cap casualty and ended up signing with the Mavs.
Follow Us
Subscribe