With the Sacramento Kings reportedly having high interest in Harrison Barnes, what would be the benefit for the purple and white if the six-year veteran was to be acquired?
It is currently January 24, and the Sacramento Kings are still a good basketball team. With a record of 24-24, the purple and white are currently the 10th seed in the Western Conference standings and have a realistic shot at competing in the postseason. That should be a surprise not only for the people in the Kings community but in the entire NBA.
Although the young Sacramento squad has exceeded expectations so far, their play has dipped recently. In their last four games, they have only won once and have lost valuable ground in the playoff race.
In my opinion, the Kings’ current roster has a low chance of making a playoff berth this season. Compared to their Western counterparts, they just are not as talented and experienced yet. So for the Kings to make a legit case to qualify for this year’s playoffs, I believe they need an upgrade in their personnel.
With the NBA trade deadline getting nearer by the day, more trade rumors have surfaced the internet. The Kings have been in numerous rumors in the last week. as guys like Otto Porter Jr., Enes Kanter, and Jeremy Lin have been mentioned. Another name that has been thrown out there has been Harrison Barnes.
Not too long ago, Brian Windhorst, NBA reporter for ESPN, mentioned that the Kings do have interest in trading for Barnes before the deadline expires. Barnes is currently a starting wing player for the Dallas Mavericks.
With the news out that Vlade Divac and company may have an interest in Barnes, how does that benefit the Kings going forward?
With that being said, enjoy this slideshow which will showcase three reasons how Harrison Barnes can help the Kings’ playoffs hopes and rebuild going forth.
Reason #1: Solidifies Small Forward Spot
One of the biggest holes that the Kings currently have on their personnel is the small forward position. Justin Jackson is the only pure three on the Kings’ roster, and even though he is making strides in his development, he has not proven enough to make a case for being the team’s starting wing for the future.
The Kings need to address the lack of talent and depth at the small forward spot going forward, and Harrison Barnes is truly a good solution to the problem.
Throughout his six-plus seasons in the NBA, Barnes has played for two teams in the Golden State Warriors and Dallas Mavericks. With the Warriors, Barnes was a solid piece to their rotation as he played a total of 307 games while starting in 246 of them.
Once Barnes signed with the Mavericks in 2016, he was also a valuable asset to their personnel as he currently has appeared in 199 games and has been in the starting lineup in all of them.
Based on Barnes’ track record, he has proven to be at least a solid starting wing player and a guy that has a good chance of improving the Kings’ roster if acquired.
Not only would Barnes be improving the Kings’ roster this season, but he could become the Kings’ long-term solution to small forward as he is still only 26-years of age.
Reason #2: 3-and-D Player
Not only does adding Harrison Barnes to the Kings fix their small forward hole, but it also fulfills another need that the purple and white have been longing for in forever.
The Kings do not need an average-joe small forward. They need a wing player that can make an impact on both ends of the floor. If Vlade were to find a guy that can be a reliable perimeter shooter to Sacramento’s lethal offense who can also play solid defense on the other end, it would immensely help the Kings this season and their long-term future.
When analyzing Barnes’ game, he pretty much fits the 3-and-D type of player that the Kings are searching for. Throughout his career, he is shooting over 37% from the three-point line and has improved over time as he is currently making almost 40% of his perimeter shots this season. Defensively, Barnes has never been mentioned as an All-Pro defender but is known to be a good defender throughout his career.
Even though Harrison Barnes is getting paid like a star player, he does not need to be that GUY with the Kings. If he can play the 3-and-D role well with Sacramento, then that would be ideal for the franchise going forward.
Maybe playing a lesser role will help both Barnes and the Kings become more efficient?
Reason #3: High Character / Knows How To Win
Another reason why adding Harrison Barnes could help the Kings is that they would be adding another high-character guy to their rebuild. Barnes has developed a reputation of being a good locker room guy, so adding him to the mix would definitely be another veteran presence that the Kings youngsters can learn from throughout their developments.
Do not underestimate the importance of a high character veteran for a young team. In the past two years, Sacramento has acquired guys like Anthony Tolliver, Vince Carter, and currently, Iman Shumpert who have made huge impacts on how Sacramento’s young talents have fared so far in their careers. So adding a guy like Barnes who has similar traits and can be a regular guy in the team’s rotation would be golden for the Kings.
Not only is Barnes a good asset to have both on and off the court, but he is a guy that knows what it is like to be on a winning team. Even though he is playing with the Dallas Mavericks now, he was with the Golden State Warriors when they were on the rise. He even was able to earn an NBA championship with them in 2015.
Barnes knows what it is like to be on a rebuilding club and work into becoming a champion. That type of experience and knowledge can be very valuable to a team like Sacramento who is looking to get back to relevancy.