Among the plethora of intriguing players about to hit free agency is Sacramento Kings veteran forward Harrison Barnes, who appears to be on the radar of the Indiana Pacers.

The Pacers are said to be among the teams to watch out for on the Harrison Barnes front, for at least a couple of reasons, including his connection with former Kings teammate Tyrese Haliburton, per Yahoo Sports senior NBA reporter Jake Fischer. Also mentioned in Fischer's piece was the familiarity of Barnes with Rick Carlisle, who coached him during their days together with the Dallas Mavericks.

“The Pacers, sources said, are also a strong contender to sign Harrison Barnes from the Sacramento Kings. Barnes had a close relationship with All-Star guard Tyrese Haliburton during their overlapping tenure in Northern California, and Barnes has further support from Indiana head coach Rick Carlisle dating back to shared days with the Mavericks. “

Barnes, who signed a four-year deal with the Kings in 2019 worth $85 million, is coming off a strong 2022-23 campaign in which he averaged 15.0 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.6 assists in 82 games. His 6.5 Win Shares last season also ranked second-best of his career and his highest since the 2014-15 NBA season when he was still with the Golden State Warriors. He was an integral piece of the Kings' renaissance, with his showing definitely giving his stock in the free-agent market a big shot in the arm.

Should the Pacers land Harrison Barnes, they will shore up their forward positions with someone who's got the ability to play the four and the five while providing excellent floor-stretching services. Barnes, who is a career 37.8 3-point shooter, was a first-round pick (seventh overall) by the Warriors in the 2012 NBA Draft.