Harrison Barnes had been listed as day to day, as reported by Sam Sorkin and Nate Parham after suffering a knee contusion in a recent preseason game.
MRIs have since confirmed bone bruising.
That announcement continues a recent run of upsetting headlines for Barnes.
Are you getting the feeling that it’s going to be one of those years for Harrison? I certainly am.
Until that contract is signed and sealed or other avenues are looked into and used, it could be a long, long year.
One option is to trade Harrison. I can tell you some Dubs fans want that to happen ASAP. Let’s not forget the deadline to sign an extension or become a restricted free agent is November 2.
Let me be clear, trading Harrison is not what I would do and I’m hesitant to even talk about a signed and current member of the team in such a way, but if it had to happen, then there is one enticing candidate that the Warriors need to look into.
He is a 6’6, 228 pound athlete with a 6’11 wingspan and he’s under contract through 2018-2019 on the rookie scale.
His name is Justin Anderson, and here’s what they say about him.
Kirk Henderson said after Anderson’s debut:”Justin Anderson is an honest to goodness, NBA player”. “The left-handed shooting guard has a great stroke…What’s more, despite appearing to have the green light, none of his shots were forced”
There were some other notable quotes from Draft Express:
“Generates most of his offensive opportunities within the flow of offense”
“Has shown the ability to muscle his way to the rim and finish strong”
“Versatile defender, can guard multiple positions”
“Has the strength to defend bigger players in the post”
“Best at passing when he finds teammates in transition by drawing defenders into the paint and passing the ball to open players at the basket”
That sounds familiar doesn’t it?
What would the trade actually look like? It would involve Harrison Barnes and Brandon Rush for Justin Anderson and Raymond Felton.
I’m not even going to go into Felton, needless to say he would be waived.
The trade would be a good idea for a number of reasons. First, Anderson can slot into Barnes’ starting slot and the rest of the Warriors don’t skip a beat. Andre Iguodola can stay on the bench as the sixth man and offer guidance for the rookie.
It may free up a couple more minutes for Kevon Looney and James Michael McAdoo that otherwise wouldn’t be available if Barnes was in fold.
Is there a better young fit for the Warriors out there? It’s almost too perfect.
Furthermore, the Warriors would maintain their trade exceptions – David Lee at $5.3 mill and Gerald Wallace at a shade under $3.2 mill (Those are some valuable chips)
There are however a few cons. The Warriors would lose a vital asset that hasn’t hit his straps yet and could be used in other deals down the line if necessary.
They would be losing a 23-year-old established starter on a Championship team. There aren’t many of then around.
Barnes is an athletic, strong wing that can guard and is coming into what should be his best years in the L. Are you giving up on him too soon?
Also, would the league-leading Warriors defence take a hit? Despite the calls about Anderson’s defensive chops, he is still a rookie. There would invariably be a steep learning curve before becoming settled.
Finally, they would be trading an established player for a rookie.
Again, this is not something I would actively seek to do if I was the Warriors front office. It is smart management however to have ideas and options already in your back pocket if the time comes.
In the end, the current Warrior front office has got it right a hell of lot more times than they have got it wrong.
They’ll do the right thing again.
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Ridiculous yet again from the Mavericks star!
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