Matt Barnes Agrees To Two-Year Deal With Sacramento Kings
Controversial journeyman forward Matt Barnes is headed to the Sacramento Kings . Can he build on his momentum from the 2015-16 season?
Following another disappointing season that saw them miss the playoffs, the Sacramento Kings enter yet another offseason trying to build a competitive team around their supremely talented superstar in DeMarcus Cousins.
The Kings appear to be cleaning house from their 2015-16 roster, as they have already traded Marco Belinelli to the Charlotte Hornets for the 22nd overall pick that turned into Syracuse forward Malachi Richardson, let former All-Star Rajon Rondo walk and rescinded their qualifying offer planning to rescind their qualifying offer to third-string point guard Seth Curry.
A key area that the Kings needed to improve was the wing spots and that’s been their focus so far in free agency.
After adding sniper Arron Afflalo on a two-year, $25 million deal on Saturday, the Kings followed that up by coming to an agreement on a reported two-year deal worth $12 million with well-traveled and controversial forward Matt Barnes, according to ESPN’s Marc Stein.
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The Kings have a deal with Matt Barnes, sources say
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) July 4, 2016
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After a rough start to his 2015-16 campaign that saw him get traded from the Los Angeles Clippers to the Charlotte Hornets and then to the Memphis Grizzlies in the offseason before being involved in a highly publicized domestic beef with former New York Knicks head coach Derek Fisher, Barnes was arguably the best player on an injury-riddled Grizzlies team struggling to procure a playoff spot down the stretch.
Barnes came alive after the All-Star break, averaging 12.1 points and 6.4 rebounds per game while providing a veteran presence and helping lead a rag-tag Memphis squad to the seventh seed in the Western Conference playoffs.
By joining the Kings, Barnes reunites with his former head coach in Memphis in Dave Joerger and also returns to the franchise he played for in his second year in the league back in the 2004-05 season.
It is also a return to California’s capital city for Barnes, who also played for the Kings as a seldom-used reserve in 2004-05.
From an on-court standpoint, adding Barnes gives the Kings a veteran player with championship experience who is renowned for being a staunch perimeter defender and tough demeanor.
However, Barnes showed last season in Memphis that he is also capable of much, much more.
Now, will Barnes be putting up triple-doubles and running point forward for the Kings? Probably not. However, he’s more capable of contributing on the offensive end than most think.
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Barnes has been a mediocre three-point shooter for most of his career, but shot a decent clip from the arc last season at .322. He’s also a tremendous rebounder for the small forward spot, ranking 15th at that position with 5.5 boards a night.
Both will only serve to improve a Kings team that ranked 10th in team three point percentage (.359) and 11th in total rebounds per game (44.2) last season.
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However, the most important attribute Barnes brings to this team is his competitive spirit, especially on the defensive end.
The Kings were atrocious on defense this past season, giving up a league-worst 109.1 points per game while also allowing opponents to shoot a .366 clip from the arc, good for fifth-worst in the Association.
Adding Barnes is a step in the right direction to improving perimeter defense in a three-happy Western Conference that boasted six of the NBA’s 10 best three point shooting teams, including the Kings.
His grit and toughness are also intangibles that will go a long way in this Kings locker room, especially with their bullish star.
Barnes will always have controversy and attitude questions attached to his name, and much of it he’s brought on himself.
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However, with a coach that brought the best out of him last season and a team in desperate need of some toughness, Barnes might be just the type of veteran role player they needed.