Heels in the NBA: Harrison Barnes on the hot seat

UNC’s Black Falcon, better known as Harrison Barnes, is one of the NBA’s most coveted free agents this summer.

His performances during the 2016 NBA Finals have netted a great deal of criticism. Some people believe that Barnes does not deserve a max contract. Some people feel as though Barnes messes up Golden State’s “small ball” lineup, which represents their best five players on the team.

Based on years of NBA service the max salaries for 2015-2016 are:

0-6 years – $16.407 million
7-10 years – $19.689 million
10+ years – $22.970 million

Barnes turned down a four-year, $64 million dollar contract extension from Golden State prior to this season. Barnes was hoping to earn a bigger contract this summer, with the salary cap suspected to be around $90 million.

The former UNC star peaked in 2015 when he averaged 48% from the field and 41% from three-point range. Maybe he should have taken the money and secured several more years with the Warriors.

But he didn’t.

Instead, Barnes felt that he was worthy of more money based on his value. He plays both forward positions and he was a starter for a championship team. Can you blame him?

Regardless of your thoughts towards Barnes, Game 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals will be a pivotal moment for him. Clearly Barnes is in a shooting slump when considering he has scored a total of five points in the last two games of the NBA Finals.

Another depressing statistic is his field goal percentage.

In Game 5, Barnes scored five points on two made field goals out of a total of 14 shots (14.3%). He followed up this performance with going scoreless in Game 6, missing all eight of his field goals.

Jun 16, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers center Tristan Thompson (13) dunks the ball against Golden State Warriors forward Harrison Barnes (40) during the first quarter in game six of the NBA Finals at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports /

It is difficult to demand a max contract on the biggest stage (during a championship) and you underperform.

This is the dilemma that Barnes faces. His value has declined with every bad performance during this year’s NBA Finals.

In Barnes’ defense, he scored 13 points in Game 1, had 18 points and eight rebounds in Game 3 and 14 points and eight rebounds in Game 4. Golden State won both Game 1 and Game 4, largely due to Barnes’ play.

According to ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith, Barnes has lost money due to his play in the 2016 NBA Finals.

I asked for the Oakland & Cleveland police departments to put out an APB for @hbarnes. https://t.co/n1ylP7Vkc0
— Stephen A Smith (@stephenasmith) June 18, 2016

However, overall Barnes’ stats during the NBA Finals are averages consisting of 9.2 points and 4.8 rebounds. He has made 50% of his free throws, 36% of his field goals and 28% of his three-point attempts. On many of Barnes’ field goals, he has been open; wide open.

In the past, open shots like this are usually money for him. Moreover, his defense has been spotty at times.

June 13, 2016; Oakland, CA, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) defends against Golden State Warriors forward Harrison Barnes (40) during the second half in game five of the NBA Finals at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports /

There is a chance that you could see Barnes wearing a different uniform next season. Despite how he has performed during the finals, it is highly possible Barnes could manage to receive a max contract, also. As for Golden State, Barnes’ max contract will depend on the outcome of the finals and the status of the eight players who will come off the books this offseason.

At 24 years of age, Barnes could have another 10 to 12 years of basketball in him. The contract he gets this offseason may possibly be the biggest of his career. Likewise, where he decides to play will shape his legacy.

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