In his second stint with the Golden State Warriors, Matt Barnes won his first championship as they defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2017 NBA Finals in five games. While Barnes started in five of his 20 appearances during Kevin Durant's injury, the Warriors decided to sign Nick Young and Omri Casspi in free agency.
With the 2017-18 NBA season approaching, Barnes remains a free agent. On TMZ, the 37-year-old revealed winning his first championship was bittersweet:
“It's bittersweet 'cause I wanted to be out there crying and bleeding and sweating with my teammates,” Barnes said … “I had to sit back and watch our team win the finals.”
During his 14-year NBA career, Barnes has been a solid role player as a former second round draft pick. However, with head coach Steve Kerr shortening his bench during the playoffs, there were no minutes available for Barnes behind Durant and Andre Iguodala.
As it is unclear if another team will sign Barnes, the Warriors are looking to win their third championship in four NBA Finals appearances. After re-signing their core players and improving their bench depth, it is difficult seeing another team dethroning them if they remain relatively healthy. They begin their title defense against the Houston Rockets on Oct. 17.
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