March 23, 2012; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers shooting guard Kobe Bryant (24) laughs with small forward Matt Barnes (9) at the end of the game against the Portland Trail Blazers at the Staples Center. Lakers won 103-96. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
Matt Barnes previous stint with the Lakers from 2010-2012 was uneventful and disappointing, to say the least. However, with a new coach and new holes on the roster, Barnes is drawing interest from the Lakers, according to Broderick Turner of the LA Times.
"The Clippers would like to bring back free-agent small forward Matt Barnes, who has drawn interest from the Lakers, according to some executives."
While Barnes fills a big hole for the Lakers at backup small forward, he was quite vocal of his displeasure in his time here. In an interview with Eric Pincus last December, Barnes described his time with the Lakers as a “bad situation.” In his defense, however, his first year was spent battling injuries and the second season saw a coaching change and a lockout-shortened season.
Nevertheless, if Barnes is healthy, he’d be a nice addition to a Lakers team looking for all sorts of improvements on the bench.