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Marc SteinESPN Senior Writer
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• Senior NBA writer for ESPN.com
• Began covering the NBA in 1993-94
• Also covered soccer, tennis and the Olympics
The Dallas Mavericks intend to sign restricted free agent Harrison Barnes to a max offer sheet on the first day they are able, according to league sources.
Sources told ESPN that the Mavericks have committed a four-year max contract to Barnes worth an estimated $ 95 million, which can be finalized July 7, when a leaguewide moratorium is lifted on signings and trades.
The Golden State Warriors would have three days to match any offer sheet Barnes signs. Golden State officials have been adamant that they will match any offer on Barnes unless they win the Kevin Durant sweepstakes.
Sources say the Mavericks understand that actually getting Barnes will be difficult but feel compelled to make a run at him given their need for youth and athleticism.
Do the Warriors need to match the Mavericks’ max offer for Harrison Barnes or can they replace him? Would he thrive or disappoint in Dallas? Kevin Pelton breaks down both sides.
Which teams got better, which got worse and what other moves are likely in NBA free agency? Kevin Pelton provides team-by-team analysis of the 23 latest major and minor deals.
Barnes, 24, was drafted seventh overall by the Warriors in 2012 out of North Carolina, becoming Golden State’s starting small forward from day one. However, he moved to a bench role the next season after the addition of free agent Andre Iguodala. When Steve Kerr was hired as coach in 2014, Barnes moved back into the starting five and has mostly remained there.
Barnes turned down a reported extension totaling $ 64 million before the 2015-16 season. He then had his best campaign as a pro, averaging 11.7 points and 4.9 rebounds in 66 games.
A polarizing player because of his inconsistency, Barnes has been a key cog in the Warriors’ back-to-back runs to the NBA Finals, particularly in their small-ball lineups. Barnes possesses unique defensive versatility, with the ability to switch to players bigger than him and rebound against superior size. He is a quality 3-point shooter, hitting 38.3 percent of his attempts last season, with the bulk of his 3s coming from the corners.
In four seasons, Barnes holds career averages of 10.1 points and 4.6 rebounds per game.
Harrison Barnes shot 38.0 percent on uncontested 3-pointers in the 2016 postseason and went 5-of-20 (25.0 percent) on such shots in the NBA Finals. He made 47.0 percent of those shots in the regular season.
Before suffering a sprained ankle and bone bruise against the Suns on Nov. 27, Barnes was playing the best basketball of his career.
Harrison Barnes before/after ankle injury — 2015-16 regular season
Category
Before*
After
PPG
13.4
11.1
RPG
5.0
4.9
eFG pct
56.3
51.9
W-L
17-0
42-7
*Luke Walton was interim head coach for Warriors’ first 43 games
— ESPN Stats & Information
Information from ESPN staff writer Royce Young was used in this report.
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