4 teams that could steal Harrison Barnes from the Kings
By Elaine Blum
2. Memphis Grizzlies
With Dillon Brooks out the door, the Grizzlies need a new small forward who delivers on both ends of the floor. They need even more than that, however, a veteran presence who can help instill good habits in their young stars, particularly Ja Morant, and hold them accountable. Barnes could fill both needs.
Defensively, Barnes would be a step down from Brooks, but his offense would make up for it. The only two Grizzlies players who shot better than Barnes’ 37.4 percent from three this season are Desmond Bane (40.8 percent in 58 games) and Luke Kennard (54 percent in 24 games). They need that shooting to stretch the floor and allow Morant to attack the paint, so Barnes would largely boost their current wing rotation. Inserting Barnes into the starting lineup would make Steven Adams the only player in that group that you do not want to take an outside shot.
He might cost more than they want to pay, but no good 3-and-D guy comes cheap nowadays, and the Grizzlies need to do whatever it takes to compete past the first round of the playoffs. Between Bane, Morant, and Jaren Jackson Jr., they have too much young talent to not be one of the top teams in the West, and Barnes could be the right player to get them there.