1. How Much Money Is Harrison Barnes Worth?
By far the hottest name in 2016 NBA free agency was just eliminated by the Golden State Warriors in Kevin Durant. However, one of the other most intriguing and highly sought after free agents is still playing in the postseason for the Warriors: Harrison Barnes. Coming off of his rookie contract, Barnes will be a restricted free agent out of Golden State this offseason and is expected to command a ton of attention from around the league with teams having money to burn.
It’s no secret that the Lakers are one of those teams with money to burn and are a team that seems like a logical potential destination for Harrison Barnes. LA has a need at small forward going forward and they need length, shooting, defense, and versatility on the wing, all of which Barnes can bring to the table. However, the real question is how much money would the Lakers feel comfortable offering Barnes?
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Obviously the Warriors can match any amount that the Lakers give Barnes, but the Lakers don’t want to find themselves in a position where they’re playing chicken and are left paying Barnes a max contract when they don’t believe he’s worth it. Therefore, the Lakers front office has to use these NBA Finals to look at the Barnes, assess the situation, and figure out just how much money he’s worth to them.