The Lakers plan to go after Harrison Barnes in 2016 NBA free agency, but it may be all for naught
With the salary cap rising this summer for all 30 NBA teams, there are obviously going to be a number of teams with the room to try and sign some of the biggest names available on the open market. One such name is currently Golden State Warriors small forward Harrison Barnes, one of the brightest young players at a position of need for the Los Angeles Lakers.
Coincidentally, the Lakers are one of the teams that are going to have the most money to operate with in free agency this offseason. LA figures to be in the mix for the majority of the big-name free agents that become available this offseason and Barnes is apparently one of their primary targets.
According to a report from Sean Deveney of Sporting News, the Lakers are planning to make a definitive effort to try and land the restricted free agent in Harrison Barnes this offseason and offer him the max if that’s what it would take to potentially sign him.
However, Deveney also notes that the Lakers or any other team pursuing Barnes might be a bit futile at this point. Barnes and his camp have the Warriors ready to match essentially any offer that’s given to him in free agency and will reportedly do son.
You have to wonder what that means for the Lakers elsewhere, though. Could they sign Barnes to the max to try and leverage a deal with another free agent from the Warriors like Festus Ezeli? Will it change plans to go after Barnes at all?
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Regardless of your feeling on Harrison Barnes and his worth on the open market (no matter what the salary cap rises to this summer), the Lakers would be doing well if they were able to land one of the biggest names available this offseason. However, that seems unlikely and the Lakers will have to look elsewhere to try and add a stud free agent.