According to Mike Singer of The Denver Post, a new suitor has emerged in the multi-team pursuit of Harrison Barnes – the Denver Nuggets.
Denver’s interest in Barnes should come as no surprise, as their offseason loss of Jerami Grant, who’s currently averaging more than 23 points per game for the Detroit Pistons, hurt far more than many imagined, and Michael Malone has not been able to find a wing to replace that level of production on his current roster. Barnes would provide a steady three-and-D presence for the Nuggets, and he could slot in next to, or in place of, Michael Porter Jr., depending on how the enigmatic third-year forward is performing on any given night.
The link betwen the Kings and Nuggets also creates an interesting four-team bidding war, one of which will almost certainly create some clear-cut winners and some clear-cut losers. In the last few days, the Boston Celtics and the Denver Nuggets have both been linked to two forwards, Aaron Gordon and Harrison Barnes, while the Orlando Magic and the Sacramento Kings have both been described as demanding sky-high prices for their assets. If either of the buyers clearly overpays for one of those contributors, will that set the market for the other, or will it depreciate the value with just one buyer and one seller? It’s a tricky path for each of those teams to navigate.
Furthermore, Sacramento has continued to fan the flames that they’re unlikely to part with Barnes in the next 48 hours, although that may very well be a ploy to boost the price for their veteran forward. On Tuesday afternoon, Marc Stein of The New York Times described the Kings as “reticent” to part ways with Barnes, meaning that Monte McNair needs to be blown away by a package, whatever that means to him.
From Denver’s side of things, they can offer a similar package to Boston, as they control their first rounder this year, which will probably fall in the early 20s, and they can also include young players such as RJ Hampton, Zeke Nnaji, Bol Bol, or Monte Morris, who recently signed an extension with the Nuggets. Denver’s biggest challenge, especially when comparing potential deals with the Boston Celtics, is one of salary matching. Garry Harris would almost certainly need to be included in the deal, and his large salary and lack of recent production might be a tough pill for Sacramento to swallow. He’s owed $20 million next season, akin to Harrison Barnes pay, although he only has one year remaining on his contract, as opposed to two for Barnes.
In a quick Twitter discussion with Ryan Blackburn, the site manager for The Denver Stiffs, a package of Gary Harris, RJ Hampton OR Zeke Nnaji, and Denver’s first round selection was mentioned as the likely offer from the Nuggets, which is a relatively attractive return, although not nearly as enviable as Boston’s potential deal from a salary cap point of view. If the Kings are willing to trade Barnes, and the Nuggets miss out on their primary target of Aaron Gordon, both teams may need to settle a bit on their wants versus their needs come Thursday afternoon.
We’ll keep this story updated if talks progress between the Denver Nuggets and the Sacramento Kings. The NBA trade deadline is Thursday, March 25th.
Send Michael Porter Jr and we got a deal!
Seriously though, if the Kings get a good deal, they should take it. The more teams that like him, the better.
We should even add Bagley as a sweetener to get that deal done.
If these are some of the deals that are being offered there is no way he says no, right? Like he has to be bluffing. I think teams are assuming he will eventually fold but I think Monte is thinking the same thing.
I think he is willing to trade Barnes but will squeeze everything he can out of these teams before pulling the trigger.
I worry of waiting too long. Team may find other solutions in the next 48 hours. I don’t want to have Monte left holding the bag, or the classic “two days ago” scenario.
The Kings could have been in a better situation two years ago, but then they didn’t fire Vlade Divac!
I guess holding the bag means retaining Barnes and his declining (and increasingly attractive) deal if suitable return isn’t tendered. As problems go, that’s on the small side.
I don’t think he is increasingly attractive at all. He is playing his absolute best this year so cash out while you can. Who knows what he will be like next season but the odds aren’t in his favor. Sure, he will be cheaper with one less year on his deal, but he will also be older or could even be injured. If he is not part of the long term plan, you move them while you can.
I think the odds are much greater that Buddy’s trade value increases more than Barnes over the next year. Barnes is playing at his peak right now. Remember, about half of his time in Sacramento, people were saying, “Is Barnes even on the court?”
Sure, strike while the iron is hot, of course.
A lot easier to do when
There’s being smart, and there’s being a sucker. The continued implication that Barnes is being held onto despite fair offers piling up, well, I can’t square it. Show me something to back it up.
I guess I’m squarely in the camp that if you are convinced he is not part of the long term plan, you move him within the next 48 hours, because after that you will never get the same return. That is just my opinion. He is a wanted commodity RIGHT NOW by a number of teams, there is no guarantee that will be the same this summer, or a year from now.
Could he have more value next deadline? Sure, but I wouldn’t bet on it.
But you’re willing to bet that there’s something equitable on the table already. Show your work. Anything at all, something that indicates that there is something of remotely adequate value put up in exchange for Barnes, or any other Kings player. I’d also take some kind of evidence that McNair is so bad at his job that he must absolutely be fucking the dog at his first trade deadline as GM.
Tell you what, I’d like to offer you five dollars for your mother.
She isn’t getting any younger, her value will be significantly lower next year, and frankly, she isn’t part of your long-term plan.
Gee, I’d better take it, I’d hate to sell her for four dollars next year and feel stupid. Although maybe she goes for six. No, must act quickly, before people think I don’t know what I’m doing.
Personally, I think your mom is holding up just fine, and I’d rather not trade her for, what was it again?
My contention is that, based on his willingness to let a hobbled, aging asset walk away for an overpay, that McNair has some idea of the value of his players. It’s a thin resume thus far, admittedly, but this is what we have.
What is your contention based on?
You’ve completely lost me in comparing Harrison Barnes to my mother.
And for what it’s worth, you can have her for a buck fifty.
Can she play SF?
Probably better than Bagley.
Remember when Vlade said Bagley could even play some 3 … good times.
And I am concerned that this is the very joke that will return frequently for years to come if we trade Barnes for the sake of it.
The joke itself is not the problem. The back-filling of the SF position may very much be as evidenced since Kings traded the artist formely known as Artest.
Plenty of rumors that Vivek doesn’t want to get rid of Barnes unless blown away.
Rumors are exactly that…rumors. As Andy points out there is nothing tangible at this point to suggest Monte has dropped the ball or has rejected anything of value. We just don’t know…the rumors about could be coming from agents, other teams interested in Barnes trying to drive down interest, thus price…Hell it could be Monte himself trying to drive the price up by making it seem like his hands are tied.
Point is it’s flipping silly season right now of rumors and while it’s fun to play armchair GM, to try to objectively evaluate Monte and his worth as GM at this point is a bit of a fruitless exercise. If you want to have your pitchforks on standby understandable…but just wait till Thursday at the minimum.
Agree. And didn’t we hear, at the beginning of the year, that Barnes etc-dudes not on the build around Fox timeline would be gone?
Honestly, this is so idiotic if they don’t trade and tank. Kings got lucky getting Haliburton and have a real opportunity to rebuild.
This is to my thinking too. I don’t think it will hurt to hold on to Barnes if the deal isn’t right.
If an attractive deal is out there, sure, however the gap that Barnes will leave at a historically difficxult position for Kings to back-fill would be worse. No burning pocket trade here, only if the deal makes sense.
I think Kings are holding the cards with Barnes, and rightfully so IMO. Let him go if it makes sense, because he is still productive enough and we need some sort of veteran presence which he provides.
He should have pulled the trigger a month ago, we’d be sitting sweet in the top 3 in the draft. Instead we’re squeezing out worthless wins against bad teams.
Totally agree.
Agree. And again, this type of inaction/action makes me believe Vivek will not relinquish power.
You are aware the deadline is not until Thursday right…like majority of deals get done then. I have no idea what Monte is going to do, but making assumptions off the inaction thus far seems not extremely productive, especially when we don’t have a clear picture of the final situation yet.
The problem is it maybe the inverse. A lot of teams interested in Barnes may be viewing him as a “plan B” versus some of the bigger names or younger players with upside being floated.
I could see something coming together quickly. I wouldn’t be surprised if a team like Boston prioritized Aaron Gordon and if they miss, deal with us. Or if they get him than a team like Denver comes to us as their backup plan.
The quasi-good news is that Barnes deal is not expiring, he’s on a de-escalating contract, and he’s a pretty known quantity. So while there is always the risk of an injury between now and the offseason, I would imagine we’d have the opportunity to trade him over the summer as well without losing much in the way of trade value.
Agree with you, if he maintains his performance. If he does, his potential return this time next year should be pretty high.
That’s a big if
As he should.
Or, worse, fucking Vivek is not allowing Monte to trade these dudes unless blown away. I fear that is likely. I hope it isn’t.
As I’ve said before, if Monte isn’t in power, which this trade deadline will show perhaps, we are screwed in perpetuity.
“If” doing a lot of work there.
Meaning?
Gary Harris is a tough pill to swallow, especially if the Kings can’t/won’t move Buddy. RJ and Zeke are solid prospects and the pick would be nice, but keeping Harris’ salary still makes it hard to possibly retain Holmes. I would need to know the long plan before making that trade.
In all honesty, I’m surprised the Nuggets aren’t going hard after Oladipo with Harris and picks. That would seem like a win now move.
Oladipo is a free agent at season’s end. With Denver’s cap, making that trade is not a particularly shrewd move.
I think they’d do it if they could get Diplo to stay. I also think they need to plan on the possibility of Barton opting out this summer, so maybe Barnes is the better move?
Personally I like Barnes the best. It’s the best fit x’s and o’s wise and probably the best culture fit too.
Offensively, he’d have to play 4th fiddle, but I think he’d be okay with that. Oladipo and Gordon are not likely to be happy with that role. Oladipo’s efficiency isn’t on par with MPJ’s now (who is still improving), and Murray is heating up. Are you a better team giving those touches to Oladipo in his current form? I’m not sure that you are.
Gordon brings better defensive skills and plays a position we’re weak at, but those comments about wanting to play in a glam market with endorsement opportunities (if that comment was legit) probably turned our front office off.
I think our front office is still very conscious of the fact that Denver, while not a backwater, is not viewed by most players as one of the more glamorous destinations (LAL, LAC, GSW, Miami). Nor is it even viewed among that 2nd tier of major markets that seem to always be at the forefront of free agent chatter (HOU, DAL, BOS, Brooklyn, etc). We cannot afford to deal for players we’re not confident want to be here.
As long as Aaron Gordon doesn’t end up here, I’m good. He’s an amazing athlete who does incredible things from time to time, but he’s never struck me as the kind of player who measurably improves his team.
For most of his career, I compared him to Zach Lavine, but Lavine has remade himself from a chucker into a highly-efficient offensive player. Gordon hasn’t shown any indication of making that kind of leap.
I’m with you on Gordon. He does not move the needle at for me. I think most things I dislike in Bagley, I see in Gordon.
I am with you as well. Gordon has 4 minute flashes but is woefully inconsistent and gets hurt quite a bit.
HB disappears for 3-4 games every so often. What has been his production on this road trip just ended?
Here you go!
except that Olidipo plays close to the same spot as Murray- and is similar and Barnes “replaces” Grant.
We need to capitalize on his value. I would take either Zeke Nnaji or BolBol (Idk who’s better) + 1st+ Harris for Barnes. I also think we need to move Holmes for a 1st.
I don’t think Monte is in these trade discussions. Our front office doesn’t view him in the same way that they see the other players mentioned here. The team hurts with him out of the rotation. Further, I wouldn’t see the appeal in him from the Kings point of view. He is a very good reserve point, but he’s reached his crescendo and you guys are still trying to figure out who your core is.
As for the other players mentioned, this is my ranking in terms of most likely to least likely to be traded
Bol Bol – total wildcard. Nobody knows what he is. He’ll need minutes to answer that question and he probably can’t get any until he’s traded. He’s not a “throw in” but he is a lottery ticket.
Gary Harris – Denver has a love affair with him even though he’s always hurt. When he’s healthy and his shot is on, he’s a great two way guard. I don’t know if he’ll ever “be right” but he’s just so dang likeable as a player. ALWAYS has defensive effort and can be a positive influence on the game even when he’s 2 of 9. Good locker room guy, good veteran presence. I really wish it was him and Murray as the backcourt for the next 8 years. I’m sad it hasn’t worked out that way.
RJ Hampton – High ceiling, low floor. Needs to improve his shot. Off the charts athletic. Would love to see what he does with regular rotation minutes. Needs a team that is willing to be patient with him.
Zeke Nnaji – I don’t think his potential is as high as RJ’s, but his skills are a lot more refined now and I think he fits in Denver a little bit better. He fits our timeline better and we need the depth he provides at the 3/4. I think he’s in the mix for trade deadline discussions but I think he’s the one the front office is most interested in holding on to.
I agree with you on Gary Harris. I thought he was going to be a solid guard. I hope he has an Eric Gordon career at another stop.
My favorite prospect is RJ for sure. He is like a bowling ball/baby Ben Simmons
I’m not a cap wizard. But isn’t cap relief (plus assets) the main reason for trading Barnes now? If you take Harris back in the deal, you’re just bringing in another $20 million player that takes up cap space next season. His deal is shorter than Barnes’, but not by much.
You are correct. I think you’d really have to like the package Harris is coming with.
Harris is a UFA next year. Barnes is a UFA in 2023. So you’d be getting one year of ~$20M off the books. I wonder if Harris would have value next year as an expiring for a team needing cap relief.
Trading Barnes has two to three benefits to me. In the case of a Boston deal, freeing up a ton of salary would be great, but that’s not my primary motivation in a deal.
I don’t think the Kings are a playoff team next year, nor do I think they’ll be a contender the following season. If that’s the case, why should I keep Barnes around? I truly don’t give a damn about veteran presence. We’ve had veteran presence for 15 years with nothing to show for it.
From an asset standpoint, Barnes will likely never carry higher value than at this moment. He’s Gamestop and we’re about to hit the peak. If a team is willling to offer me multiple, strong assets for a guy who isn’t going to be around for the future playoff run anyway, I think it would be foolish to turn them down.
To your point about cap space, it’s very true that a deal with Denver likely wouldn’t free up any additional space. However, it does allow the Kings to add additional, Fox-timeline to their core. I would much rather have Garry Harris for a year, and RJ Hampton and Bol Bol and an early 20s pick, than have Barnes for two.
Good argument.
Thanks, that clarifies things for me. I agree that trading Barnes now is the best course of action, so long as the return (in assets) is decent. I would honestly be OK with the Boston deal that includes a young player (i.e. Nesmith) plus a 1st, even though that isn’t “fair value” for someone of Barnes’ skill level. Teams who trade big contracts rarely get “fair value” in return. As long as we get “value,” I’m fine with it. I love Barnes, but as you said, he will never be more valuable than he is right now as a trade piece.
Yeah, you live with that for the cap flexibility going into the offseason.
Exactly, and a possible fat TPE that has gotten undervalued, IMO.
Agree with everything you said here and would add, there is also a legitimate chance that we can flip Harris next season as an expiring contract if we wanted to.
Harris was probably a bit overrated at his peak, but he’s been a bit banged up and his shooting has fallen off a bit the last couple of years, while he is still a solid defender. But he’s still only 26 and having a few months off for rest and rehab could do wonders.
50% chance he’s doesn’t recover and we end up eating the contract, assuming we don’t trade him as an expiring contact and get an additional asset for taking on a worse contract next season. But there is a 50% chance he heals up and plays better in his age 27 season and we can flip him next season for even more assets.
This could turn into a Presti-like series of moves where we just keep flipping useful vets to playoff teams for useful vets we then flip to other playoff teams while improving out asset base.
You don’t know what the team will look like next year but you concluded they are not a playoff team? In other words you are guessing.
Fox has never had higher value. Same as Barnes. So lets trade Fox too. So there’s two of your arguement shot to pieces in two sentences.
Barnes plays the most scarce position (combo forward) on our team and in the NBA.
We have no one that can remotely fill the role Barnes fills. He’s friggen good and there’s no reason to think his play is not sustainable….
So let’s get rid of him because you looked into your crystal ball? Uh, hardly convincing or compelling like most of the arguments I am hearing lately.
Only two more days until Barnes is NOT traded…..enjoy!
Valid points. I would agree more if the Kings are ready for the jump into contention.
Kings are not, and trading Barnes just for Asset value return will cause another problem. Who to replace him at SF. 2-way productive SF are not easy to come by.
I am happy to hold onto Barnes if the deal isn’t right and return to this conversation this time next year. There will still be a market for him. He is in his prime years, and instead of trading him, just because there is want, Kings need returns that potentially fulfill rebuilding needs. We have many probelms as it is, and back filling a starting calibre 2-way wing is not easy for us.
In my opinion, the deal needs to be right. Going by his career to date, the risk of injury turning into bad situation is lower risk, than trading him for less worth for the sake of it, and creating another problem that needs to be addressed, digging the hole deeper, for us to climb out of. The 15 year playoff drought hole is deep enough.
I believe Jerry even mentioned that in this latest pod. Trade Barnes now, and not getting the right return may mean the Kings may not be in Sacramento by the time they are ready for playoff contention.
That’d be great if we could send Barnes to a team that’s actually a contender.
All dependent on what Denver puts on the table, of course.
“Monte can’t trade my guy Barnes as long as I have the receiver off of the hook. I think I can hold this for another 48 hours.”
Ha, I’ve never thought about it before , but that really is a weird candid shot to have been used. Is it supposed to represent him thinking?
I wonder if that photo was taken before or after he became the Kings owner.
Probably the phone call right before he decided to become controlling owner.
It looks like a: “Do I really want to do this?” moment.
It shows how Vivek listens to any basketball people he has hired.
Buddy and Barnes for Hampton, Milsap, Harris, and Will Barton.
I really don’t want to pay Buddy 24M..
There are no young players on the Nuggets worth pursuing. Draft pick is way too late in first round. No deal.
At this point, I’d rather get a late 1st round pick than have Barnes on the books next season.
If the Nuggs sign off on a piece plus the 2021 1st Round, then it just may be possible to entice a team in the top 5 to trade down if the ping pong balls are not favorable to us at lottery time.
Having 2 picks in the 1st round of a loaded draft is rarely a Bad Thing.
Feels really unlikely in most drafts, but in this one particularly, that a team would trade down from Top 5 to drop to 8-9 for an additional mid 20’s pick, unless thinking of adding much more to the trade. There seems to be a consensus drop off after 5.
Dallas moved from 5 to 3 and gave away a future first that was presumed to be in the lottery to get Luka. This Denver pick wouldn’t have that type of value.
It is usually a bad move to trade one guy for 3- the one guy is always better.
On the other hand, Barnes is at top of his value.
I like the pick ( in 20’s) although the draft does drop off after 5 but there is some depth to it. I like RJ and Nanji and Monte Morris. But I don’t like Harris although he has to be included due to salary. It would be nice to move Harris to a third team but who wants him? Bol-Bol—no !
Boston may offer a pick ( better than Denver’ s) +Nesmith, Langford or Williams- none of them move the needle for me.
Losing Barnes leaves Kings short a SF. This is a risky trade
I think I agree. I haven’t heard too much expert comment on the depth of this draft, but looking at the mocks it appears top heavy to me and certainly not as deep as last year. If so, a late first round pick is a roll of the dice that may not even make the rooster.
all I heard for an entire year is that last years draft was one of the weakest in memory and that this draft, the 2021 draft was a generational talent draft with at least 5 franchise changing players.
This is what I’ve been told, please don’t confuse me.
Rw3 definitely should move the needle, the others I understand although I’d probably still do it
Great article and breakdown of the Nuggets situation. I don’t know about everyone else, but since I started coming to TKH last year, I’ve all but stopped Googling the Kings.
Great, trade Harrison Barnes straight up for Bol Bol, the guy the Kings passed over to draft Justin James. Don’t want to see a salary cap fire sale. Trade to make the team better, not cheaper.
I’d be fine with a trade package of Harris/Hampton/Nnaji. I haven’t really seen Hampton or Nnaji play this season, but they seemed like decent prospects going into the draft. Harris could theoretically fill a starter role next season as a stopgap. Assuming Bagley is traded, they’d also have at least one max salary slot open in the summer of 22.
It is a weird inclination that some fans and bloggers have this desire to accomodate and oblige other teams with their shopping list fullfillment.
“Oh you want this guy off our team, okay, lets see what we can do to make it happen. Would you like a cookie and back massage too”
That goes against every competitive instinct that I have. You want Player A and Player B off my team that happens to be good. Okay, pony up, then pony up some more.
Teams are trying to fleece one and other this time of year, and yet the perspective seems to be lets hold hands around a camp fire and sing kumbuya and find harmony and common ground. Thats not how you win thats how you end up in the lottery another three decades.
I hate to break the “disappointing news” but Barnes and Buddy are not getting traded. Nothing is absolute but 90/10 against. Bagley is 50/50 as I deductively reasoned weeks ago.
Who is talking about Barnes? Other teams. Hes on their wish list trying to sucker a rookie GM. Who are we actively trying to move? Bagley. Why are fans seemingly more concerned about other teams objectives than our own?
Barnes and Buddy are staying and Bagley is being actively shopped. That is the way it is and that is the way I surmise it to be while other fans are going down rabbit holes.
I pray Bagley gets traded ! That is the suspense. All this other stuff is fluff and distraction.
Could Barnes get traded? Anything is possible, but the only thing that comes to mind is if a player like Siakum suddenly comes available, or maybe the Bulls take Barnes contract for a RFA in Markannen as part of a bigger deal.
That is the remote scenario, where we get a youngish established wing for a youngish established wing , not a poo-poo platter of role players and late first round draft pick.
It is just crazy fans bemoan are incompetence for two decades then want to relegate us to another 20 years of incompetence by trading away Barnes because “he is playing his absolute best…”. ?!?!
Okay, that is the benchmark now. When a player is playing really well, dump him! Fox is playing really well, who can we trade him for, dial up the bloggers and lets see if we can get a camp fire and some fresh roasted smores going !
I almost, ALMOST want barnes traded just to shove it in your face lol
Check out Sherlock Holmes over here
Keep Barnes. After only two tries on Tankathon I got this. We still need a SF next year.
Here’s the funny thing about trades … we don’t have to trade the few good players we have for a smorgasbord of bullshit.
I am not remotely interested in any of those names, not even Porter.
I mean if it’s Bagley for Porter, OK, fine.
For fucks sake, just keep Barnes and Holmes … good team guys, entering their prime … no need to get rid of them just because someone else asks for them.
Not even Porter? Lol! The guy has been shooting 62 percent over the last month and 44 from 3. He’s 22. He’s definitely better than Holmes with tons more upside. He’s 7 years younger than Barnes and fits the timeline a helluva lot better than Barnes.
This team isn’t going to the playoffs this year and probably the not the next.
Dubs will be back and better 2 1st round picks. One of them is Minny’s. Memphis will be better with JJJ back.
So, please tell me who are the Kings leapfrogging to get in the playoffs in the next 2 years.
Barnes value will be no higher than it is now. Holmes is a nice player. But I can name about 10 younger players that are cheaper and essentially can do the same thing. Claxton from the Nets is 21 and he makes less than 2 mil. He plays no different than Holmes.
Holmes is a poor rebounder for his size. Besides his shuvel shots and put backs he doesn’t really compute in todays NBA. His D is ok. But, he gets outmuscled alot of the time. He’s a great energy guy and he plays hard. But, I think too many Kings fans overvalue him.
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