Golden State Warriors: What Extension Should Harrison Barnes Get?

Security vs. Restricted Free Agency

As we’ve seen all summer long, free agents have been largely choosing long-term security over the possibility of maxing out next summer — when the salary cap leaps to about $90 million and two-thirds of the teams in the NBA will have enough space for at least one max contract.

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In the process, teams have been signing free agents to deals that look inflated within the context of the old NBA pay scale, but could wind up being steals in the future.

To that end, the Warriors would be wise to take the hit now and enjoy the long-term benefit of extending a talented, young player like Barnes to what might be a bargain contract down the road. Curry is heading for a massive payday in 2017, which means that locking down Barnes and Ezeli — the last two pieces to this team’s core for the long haul — would be something of a coup.

But for Barnes, his best financial option might be to wait until next summer when he becomes a restricted free agent. Another team could theoretically offer him much more than the Warriors would sign him for this summer, and there’s still a chance he could get that huge contract and stay with the Dubs since they’d have the power to match.

Restricted free agency doesn’t always work out that conveniently, but if Barnes should want to maximize his earnings or enjoy an expanded role, he’d probably be better off holding off on an extension. If he prefers long-term security on a title contender where his role should expand with Iguodala’s inevitable decline, however, an extension would be doing himself and the Warriors a favor.

Next: How Much Should Barnes Get?