Kings’ Harrison Barnes says Sacramento is ‘where I’m supposed to be’ despite trade rumors
Kings forward Harrison Barnes is a 10-year NBA veteran who has played for three teams since coming out of North Carolina as the seventh overall pick in the 2012 draft.
Barnes has been traded before. Now, as he enters the final year of a four-year, $85 million contract with the Kings, he knows he could be traded again.
Barnes acknowledged some uncertainty about his future in Sacramento after practice Saturday as the Kings prepared for Monday’s preseason opener against the Los Angeles Lakers. He talked about relationships and roots and the comfort that comes with “getting settled.”
For now, Barnes believes he is right where he belongs, but he joked that he follows the latest trade news from ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski and The Athletic’s Shams Charania, just in case.
“You know how the NBA is,” Barnes said. “I check Woj. I check Shams. They’ve still got me here, so as far as I’m concerned, this is where I’m supposed to be and I’m going to give it my best effort.”
Barnes, 30, is going into his fifth and perhaps final season in Sacramento. The Kings can try to sign Barnes to an extension or find him a new home prior to the February trade deadline. Or either side could choose to wait until the summer to reassess their future together, but then Barnes could walk away as an unrestricted free agent with the Kings receiving nothing in return.
The situation is complicated for the Kings, who are desperately seeking to end an NBA-record 16-year playoff drought. In order to do that, they will need Barnes or someone else who is capable of filling his shoes at the small forward position.
Barnes has been the frequent subject of trade speculation over the past two seasons. He has heard the rumors, but he said it doesn’t cause a distraction for him at this stage in his career.
“That’s just part of the business,” Barnes said. “I don’t really pay too much attention to that. The biggest thing is just getting ready for opening night. That’s my focus. The guys on this court, the coaching staff, us building that trust now so, when things get going and adversity hits, you have a base of relationships that you draw on.”
The Kings acquired Barnes in a 2019 trade with the Dallas Mavericks. He has started all 235 games he has played for Sacramento. Coach Mike Brown confirmed Saturday that Barnes will start this season along with De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis.
Barnes is a consummate professional who averaged 16.4 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.4 assists last season while shooting 46.9% from the field and 39.4% from 3-point range. He has given the Kings some of the best years of his career, both on and off the court.
Each of the past two seasons, Barnes won the Oscar Robertson Triple-Double Award, which is presented annually to the Kings player who exemplifies excellence on the court and in the community. In addition to that, Barnes and his wife, Brittany, had their first child in 2021.
As Barnes reflects on his time in Sacramento, he thinks back to the sudden change that came with the trade that brought him here. On Feb. 6, 2019, he sat on the Dallas bench with his teammates after learning he had been traded to the Kings during the game. Two nights later, he logged 37 minutes in his Kings debut at Golden 1 Center, posting 12 points and seven rebounds in a 102-96 win over the Miami Heat.
Since then, Barnes has built a home, started a family and established relationships throughout the organization and across the community.
“It’s nice to be settled,” Barnes said. “I remember when I first came here, I think our first game was against the Heat. Coach (Dave) Joerger threw me out there and I knew no plays. I’m running up and down. I’ve been in Sac for 48 hours and I played like 30 or however many minutes that night, and you’re just, like, super chaotic.
“Now, having a couple years here, getting familiar, getting settled, that stuff means a lot. So, to be able to be here, obviously you would love to have more wins and you would love to have accomplished more from a team perspective, but it’s been great developing relationships with these guys, this organization, and going from there.”
This story was originally published October 2, 2022 at 6:00 AM.
