NBA Rumors: Former Golden State Warrior Could End Up In Denver

Harrison Barnes has opted out of his contract with the Sacramento Kings, yet another popular name joining the NBA free agency circus. The 27-year-old forward declined the $25.1 million option of his contract with the Kings and will likely test the waters for bigger pay, not to mention better chances of winning an NBA championship.

ESPN reported that Barnes declined the $25.1 million option and will become an unrestricted free agent this summer. Other than a lucrative deal, it seems that the one-time NBA champion is looking for a lengthier contract. He was part of the 2015 Golden State Warriors squad before moving to the Dallas Mavericks. He was eventually traded to the Kings last February and his numbers dipped after that move. After averaging 17.7 points, 4.2 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game with the Mavs, the 7^th overall pick of the 2012 NBA Draft saw his averages go down (14.3 points, 5.5 rebounds and 1.9 assists in 28 games).

Apparently, Barnes had a tough time trying to blend in with the Kings for the remainder of the 2018-19 NBA season. Rather than see if he could fit in next season, the 6-foot-9 cager seems to have chosen to start a new lease on life with a team of his choice. As of this writing, no team has been officially linked to the veteran swingman.

One team that could make use of Barnes may be the Denver Nuggets. Falling short in the recently concluded NBA playoffs, the 27-year-old could be the offensive spark that head coach Michael Malone would find useful. However, this all depends on their plans on Paul Millsap who has a team option that the Nuggets could exercise, Fansided reported. The 34-year-old holds a hefty $30 million contract, big money that could be stricken off to reel in a younger player in Barnes.

Though Millsap still has the hops to keep in step with most forward, it remains that the Nuggets need to infuse fresh legs if they are to repeat their good run in the 2018-19 NBA playoffs. They do have the right core to duplicate, or even improve, next NBA season. But it all starts by adding the right assets and upgrading players on their end – parallel to other ballclubs who are expected to get stronger next season.