Golden State Warriors Rumors: Harrison Barnes Contract Rules Out Kevin Durant Signing?
Golden State Warriors rumors take an interesting approach to a new Harrison Barnes contract. Warriors rumors have linked the team to former NBA MVP Kevin Durant in the past, with the intent for Golden State to pursue him in the next offseason. A report from CBS Sports on Sunday, September 20 provides some facts about how the team might have to choose between Barnes and possibly signing Durant.
It was previously reported by CBS Sports that the Warriors plan to make a “serious run” at Durant as soon as he becomes a free agent. That will take place following the 2015-16 NBA season, where quite a few franchises plan on making him a big offer. Every team will have to get in line behind the Oklahoma City Thunder, as his current team won’t let him get away without a fight.
Harrison Barnes still has one more season left on his contract before he becomes a restricted free agent. His contract calls for about $3.9 million during the 2015-16 NBA season before a qualifying offer of about $5.2 million gets made for the following season. As a 24-year-old restricted free agent, other teams are likely going to offer him a lot of money. This is where the Warriors can step in and offer him an extension early to make sure he isn’t wooed by another franchise. That’s where the Golden State Warriors rumors get interesting.
The team has already committed a lot of money to Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green. The Warriors also already have $74 million owed to players for the 2016-17 NBA season that doesn’t even include Barnes yet. It means that if the team really wants to go after Kevin Durant, a sign-and-trade deal is going to have to take place. With an increased salary cap, it will also be interesting to see just how much money the front office is willing to spend. The team basically just gave away David Lee for nothing to save money during this past NBA offseason.
If the Warrior’s front office is indeed worried about paying too much money in luxury taxes, Harrison Barnes may soon become a casualty of that plan. One possible solution is for the team to put off signing Barnes to an extension and hope he doesn’t sign with another team as the Warriors pursue Durant in the offseason. The safer approach would be to lock up Barnes early and prevent him from even approaching the open market. This unsettled situation will likely lead to many more Golden State Warriors rumors during the 2015-16 NBA season.
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