Boston Celtics Trade Rumors: What Would Harrison Barnes Add To The Team?

On Monday, Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor reported that the Celtics had expressed “significant” interest in All-Star Orlando Magic Nikola Vucevic as the trade deadline approached.

On Tuesday, Sports Illustrated’s Chris Mannix added another oft-discussed name to the mix: Sacramento Kings forward Harrison Barnes, whom Mannix said the Celtics were “on top.”

Like Vucevic, Barnes’ name floated in Celtics circles for some time. Here’s a look at what he would bring to the table.

The big picture

Originally from Iowa, Barnes was No.1 in his high school class. He spent a year in North Carolina before entering the draft, where the Golden State Warriors selected him with the 7th pick. Barnes never lived up to his high school billing, but he quickly became a useful player for the Warriors and was part of the team’s first championship run in 2015. The following season Barnes started for the Warriors by winning a record number. of regular season games, and he was prominent on the team that took a 3-1 lead in the NBA Finals. He signed with Dallas in the offseason when Golden State acquired Kevin Durant, and was later traded to the Sacramento Kings, where he signed a lucrative extension.

At 6-foot-9, Barnes can play both 3 and 4. The 28-year-old has two more seasons on his contract after this year. He will earn $ 22.2 million this season, $ 20.3 million next season and $ 18.4 million in 2022-23.

What would it take to get Barnes?

The Kings are an unpredictable franchise, but they would likely be well served by offloading Barnes in favor of picks and young talent. Sacramento has lost eight of its last 10 games and 11 of its last 15 games, sinking to the bottom of the Western Conference standings. Most of the teams in this scenario are ready to fire expensive veterans.

Barnes is having a good season, however, and other teams will be interested as well. The Celtics can create a compelling offer with draft picks and young talent like Romeo Langford or Aaron Nesmith, but how many first-round picks would Danny Ainge be willing to return for a role player? And does he have bigger plans for TPE than Barnes?

What is Barnes good at?

Most important for the Celtics: Barnes is a well-known commodity. You can give it 15-20 effective points per game in almost any scenario. This season, Barnes is averaging 16.7 points on 49.2% of shots while hitting 39.2% of his 3 points. The Celtics have a huge void on the wing behind Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum, which Barnes would comfortably fill.

Barnes isn’t just a shooter – he drives 8.2 times per game, according to NBA tracking data, and he shoots 57% of those attempts. His assist percentage (the number of shots his teammates has helped Barnes on) is also solid at 13.4% – the league’s 75th percentile among forwards.

Barnes isn’t known as an elite defender, but he’s tall and versatile enough to cover a few different positions, and the Kings are 9.5 points per 100 possessions better with him on the ground largely due to their numbers. defensive. With Barnes in the game, Sacramento’s defense is 5.6 points per 100 most successful possessions.

What are the concerns?

Barnes is a good player, but not an All-Star. It could be a good thing – Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown have carried a huge load this season, and they both deserved All-Stars as a result. They might prefer a rock solid actor, but it remains to be seen whether the Celtics from top to bottom should think a little bigger.

Barnes has not always been consistent. After shooting 45.8% from 3 in January, Barnes has only reached 32.5% deep in his last 10 games. The last thing the Celtics need is to spend significant assets on a player just to see them struggle in the playoffs.

How would he be?

Positionally, Barnes is perfect. The Celtics are in desperate need of wing depth and points, and he offers that on top of defensive potential. He will be 29 in May, so his schedule is a bit off, but the Celtics are hoping to win now, and Barnes would likely help them do that. He can also boast of having played deep in the playoffs as a tertiary option.

The bottom line

Barnes is a good person and a good player. A star could move the needle more, but if the Celtics can acquire it at a relatively low cost, it could be an ideal way to bridge the gap between what the Celtics expected to be and what they have been. this season.

So will Sacramento be ready to part ways? It could depend on what the Celtics are willing to give up. The Kings aren’t just going to give up on Barnes, but if they keep fighting after the break, the reality might be hard to ignore.